Where Malayalis find each other 

 One of the hardest parts of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown has been the lack of chances for dating.
Where Malayalis find each other 

KOCHI: One of the hardest parts of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown has been the lack of chances for dating. Forget relationships, meeting someone new is a rarity, as people choose to stay at home these days. But Malayalis need not fret anymore. Arike, the first-ever vernacular dating app, will connect Keralites from around the world, and help rescue our almost-nonexistent dating lives. 

“It has no geographical boundaries. Arike has features which are culturally specific to Malayalis. A logo design that is inspired by the first letter of the Malayalam language is bound to be catchy too,” says  Able Joseph, founder and CEO of Aisle, the company behind Arike. Arike is exclusively designed for the Malayalam-speaking audience in the age group of 21 to 40 years, he added. 

“According to projections, we estimate that Malayalis comprise 10 to 12 per cent of the match-making market in the country,” said Able. Everything on the app is designed to suit the local geography, including fun icebreakers like what Malayali snack would you prefer with tea or which Malayalam movie would you nominate for the Oscars, he added.

It also has fields that are important and unique to Malayalis like Nakshatram (birth star according to Malayalam calendar), which helps members evaluate compatibility, said Able. According to him, the app is filled with references to Kerala’s pop culture. “The number of free likes and other digital goods available on Arike is lesser compared to Aisle. The scarcity of dating apps makes it a more serious platform and members can purchase ‘notes’ besides expressing their interest in other members by writing to them directly,” said Able.

But how is it different from other dating apps? “Arike is the first vernacular dating app in India. This is the first time that a well-designed piece of software personalised for Kerala’s youth is being released. We think this will expedite the exodus of users from matrimony websites to high-intent dating apps. Indian women will become more independent in making decisions about their families. We aim to empower rural India to make independent decisions about their love lives,” said Able. 

According to him, more features from Aisle, including concierge, will be adopted to Arike if needed. “As for future plans, we are planning to launch multiple vernacular versions of the app in different parts of the country. We are only a few days away from the launch of Arike. With this, we hope to expand our reach to rural India too. We have had tremendous growth in tier two and tier three cities in India,” he added.

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The New Indian Express
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