Online matrimony sees hyper growth

It is an old Indian habit, but it is going as high tech as possible. Helping single Indians meet their life partners on the World Wide Web makes great business sense. Online matrimony in India is becoming one of the fastest growing businesses, with a growth trajectory of as high as 90 percent annually in some cases.

According to an Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) report on Matrimonial Search, online matchmaking in India has skyrocketed in the last two years. While in the fiscal year 2005-06 these services garnered Rs 58 crore, in the current year the amount is expected to cross Rs 98 crore. There has also been a surge in member subscriptions from 4million in 2004-05 to 5.5 million in 2005-06. Membership is estimated to grow to 7 million users by the end of this year. The growing social acceptance of online match making is one of the major reasons for the substantial growth.

Anupam Mittal, Chairman, IAMAI and Chairman & Managing Director, People Group,which runs Shaadi.com, attributes the explosion in the growth of the online matrimonial business to a strong Indian diaspora. “Unlike traditional matchmaking solutions, online matrimonial takes away geographical limitations and provides a platform to meet potential partners on a secure and private platform,”says Mittal.

Top online match-making sites include Bharatmatrimony.com,which has a clutch of smaller portals dedicated to specific communities based on language. Jeevansaathi.com, launched by the firm that owns naukri.com, has also risen in popularity.

Fixing matches on the net is a classic example of East meets West, and it brings together traditional values and modern convenience. In addition to greater ease of use, flexibility and a large database, matrimonial sites provide a number of advantages over traditional match making methods. They offer services like mobile alerts, content in local languages, and reference checks. Authenticity is assured through profile screening. These sites also provide the members an opportunity to interact without revealing their identity and contact details. The specialised messenger and e-mail developed by these websites make this possible. Some sites like Shaadi.com provide digital horoscope generation and also check compatibility with other members. Others services on offer include beauty, style and health tips, trousseau planning, venue options and even honeymoon plans.

While profiles can be displayed for free on the websites, the added services are available only to premium (paid) members. Membership is available for periods of three months, six months and a year. A yearly membership can set you back by about Rs 3500 while a quarterly membership costs approximately Rs 1200. The companies have also opened offline centres across 10 cities where not-so-net-savvy customers are aided by executives to search databases.

The survey also indicates that an increasing number of people from smaller towns and villages are using these services. About 28 percent of the respondents who used the Internet for matrimonial activity were from smaller cities,the report said. Also more about 90 percent of the respondents were below 35 years of age with more then half of them in the age group of 25-35 years. Almost a third of the users are females.

The success of these portals hasnot gone unnoticed and has elicited the interest of many financiers. Yahoo! And Canaan Partners, a venture capital firm, recently invested $8.65 million in Bharat Matrimony. In march this year Sequoia Capital invested $8 million in People Interactive, which owns Shaadi.com. There are 38.5 million online Indians today. With this number set to touch 100 million by 2007-08, online matrimonial has obviously a strong impetus for growth.