Chennai: The Covid-19 lockdowns have appeared to be the ideal time to find a life partner for many. This is visible from the surge in usage of services, recorded by different matrimonial websites. Though the lockdown has wreaked havoc for business across all sectors, but it seems matrimonial websites are an exception, since they are doing extremely well. Since last year several millennials have been working from home and have understood the value of family more than ever now.
J Surya, who got married last month after finding his perfect match on an online platform, said, ‘Most of us career-oriented youths were more involved in jobs and used to delay marriage plans. But the pandemic has taught us many things, including not to delay your plans, as time waits for none.’
The founder and CEO of Matrimony.com, Murugavel Janakiraman, said the number of registrations on their site increased by 25 percent during the lockdown and even reported double-digit growth on a quarter-on-quarter basis. The growth figures in the second lockdown are lower compared to the first lockdown last year, but the company is happy with it. The company recorded 35% growth in the first wave.
‘Things are more serious in the second wave as every family is affected and has lost a dear one. Still, people have hope that things will become normal soon and this is driving them to continue with their search for life partners. We will definitely post double-digit growth in this FY,’ said Janakiraman.
Adhish Zaveri, Senior Director – Marketing, Shaadi.com, said that the match-making industry has performed well over the last year or so. ‘During the first wave, the engagement on Shaadi.com was up by 30-50% year on year, depending on the metrics you look at. We also saw a 35-40% uptick in new members signing up. This time around the business continues to be stable with registrations growing at a steady pace,’ said Zaveri.
During the lockdown, meeting people has become difficult, matrimonial sites have started video calling and Weddings From Home services, which are being widely used. ‘We’ve in fact had couples who met during the lockdown and are now set to get married with most of their relationship being virtual,’ said Zaveri.
According to Janakiraman, as video calling facilities becoming very popular, sites are taking absolute care to ensure the safety and security of users. ‘We have a feature where women can receive video calls from men but their numbers will not be revealed.’
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