A report by KannadaMatrimony.com says young Kannadigas are now taking decisions related to their marriages into their own hands. Unlike a few years ago, when profiles on matrimony websites were made and managed by family members, youngsters are now registering themselves on these sites and managing it themselves.
As per the report, 70 per cent of the total profiles were created by the individuals themselves; out of which, 55 per cent (in the age-group of 23 to 27) were female and 45 per cent (in the age-group of 26 to 30) were male.
Why this cultural change?
With better decision-making ability and greater access to technology, the decision of marriage has moved from parents to the younger lot themselves on online matrimony sites.
“Internet penetration and the mobile boom has led to better access and online control among the younger generation. They also have a better understanding of the behavioural eco-system than the older generation,” says Saichithra Swaminathan, chief portal and mobile officer, Matrimony.com
Young Kannadigas are not just looking at traditional aspects of match-making, like horoscope compatibility, equations between the families and professionals, but also other aspects like hobby and lifestyle choices of their prospective partners.
Matrimony sites in the age of dating apps
“There is a clear demarcation in the way both function, as well as the intent. Dating apps are preferred by a younger age group who are in an exploratory phase. In matrimony sites, the users come with a clear and serious intent of marriage, a long-term relationship with a pre-defined time limit for the search. I don’t think both these platforms overlap so much,” Saichitra points out.
Saurabh Goswami, Founder, Ultra Rich Match, a matrimonial platform for the elite, points out that the trend is similar even among the very affluent.
“The rich are now more open and flexible in marrying someone outside their community. Also, educational qualification of both the bride and groom are of great interest to the families now,” he says.
“People between the ages of 22 to 60 have registered online on our platform. There has been an increase in the number of users above 50 years, who are looking for a life companion. By this age they are well-settled and healthy but perhaps have lost their partner and that has created a vacuum,” he adds.
Offline matrimony: personalised match-making
Mishi Sood, co-founder of MatchMe, an offline, matrimonial platform, says that youngsters are searching for partners themselves offline also and are open to people from different communities.
“This generation is well-travelled and educated. They meet new people and experience new cultures when they go out of the country for higher studies, jobs or trips. This helps them keep an open mind and be comfortable with different types of people,” she observes.
For an offline portal, the average age of a user is 30 and onwards.
“It is the age when the thought of settling down creeps in and they start looking for personalised match-makers. We have enquiry coming in for overseas partners too; South Africa, London, Singapore, Canada and the US are preferred countries,” says Mishi.
A noticeable trend in the offline space is that of women in their 40s and men in their 50s coming forward for their own marriage. “This is the age-group which is not comfortable about hunting for life partners online,” she says.
Unlike online platforms, the demand here is more for chartered accountants, lawyers and people from a similar industry.
Wallet factor
MatchMe - Rs 50,000
Ultra Rich Match - Rs 29,500 (for standard package)
Matrimony.com - Rs 49,000 for 3 months (basic package)