CHENNAI: The COVID-19 lockdowns seem to be the perfect time to find a life partner for many. This is evident from the growth recorded by different matrimonial websites.
Though businesses by and large have witnessed degrowth during the lockdown, matrimonial sites are doing well. Many millennials have been working from home since last year and have realised the value of family more than ever now.
“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,” said J Surya, who got married last month after finding his perfect match on an online platform.
Murugavel Janakiraman, founder and CEO, Matrimony.com, said there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of registrations on their site during the lockdown and even on a quarter-on-quarter basis, they are reporting double digit growth.
The growth figures in the second lockdown are lower in comparison to last year’s first lockdown but the company is happy with it. In the first wave, the company had reported over 35% growth.
“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 a double-digit growth in this FY,” said Janakiraman.
According to Adhish Zaveri, Senior Director - Marketing, Shaadi.com, the matchmaking industry has done well in the past 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.
As meeting people has become difficult during the lockdown, matrimonial sites have launched video calling and Weddings From Home services, which are being extensively 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.
With video calling facilities becoming very popular, sites are taking utmost care to ensure safety and security of users. “We have a feature where women can receive video calls from men but their numbers will not be revealed,” said Janakiraman.