Co-founder of matchmaking services MatchMe, Tania Malhotra Sondhi, talks of the USP and success of the company and how the Covid-19 lockdown changed the dynamics of relationships.
Q: MatchMe is a five-year-old premium personalised matchmaking service which is modern and has redefined the traditional culture of arranged marriages. Share with us the vision, success and USP of MatchMe.
A: MatchMe was created with sheer passion and interest in connecting like-minded people who can come together in marriage. The idea is to thoroughly assess mutual compatibility and play cupid for those individuals who are looking to find the right partner to settle down with. Alongside being extremely personalised, we are a completely offline service that maintains utmost transparency while upholding the client’s privacy at all times. This is what makes modern young individuals who deeply value their privacy trust MatchMe to help them find a partner of their choice.
Our USP is that my co-founder Mishi and I are personally involved with every single client to understand their backgrounds, personalities and personal interests, on the basis of which we curate matches for them. Our success lies in the fact that most of the matches we have made so far resulted from first introductions made by us, which is a testimony to our accuracy when it comes to matchmaking. This can also be attributed to the fact that we believe in making our clients meet only when it is worth their time and interest. Hence, our process focuses on selective introductions. We work with our clients as friends and make the girl/boy comfortable enough for them to share their interests and preferences with us, which they sometimes shy away from with their parents.
Q: What age category do you detail and match for? What socio-economic level do folks usually come from? Is it mostly parents or those looking to find their soulmates?
A: A majority of our clients fall under the age bracket of 27-34 years, but we have also catered to clients who are in the age bracket of 40-60 years. We cater mostly to the elite and affluent, those who are well-educated, well-placed financially, and have a progressive outlook.
Speaking of the ratio between parents and youngsters, I would say it is 50:50 so far. You would be surprised to know that an increasing number of youngsters who are extremely occupied with their careers, but don’t wish to settle just for the sake of it, turn to us to help them find the right match. So, basically, we understand their requirements and do some basic background checks for them, and then make the two meet only after we are personally satisfied with both parties and are convinced that they are right for each other.
Q: In today’s times, what are the criteria that a young woman or man is looking for, in an arranged marriage? And how has it evolved in the past few decades?
A: Most youngsters, both men and women, give first priority to mutual compatibility and shared interests. The families’ backgrounds and their respective financial statuses come into the picture only after these two boxes have been checked. Some noticeable and heartening changes include the fact that arranged marriages are no longer arbitrary in nature and are fixed only when the boy and girl are both genuinely invested. Another positive change is that couples take a few months to date and get to know each other and their families don’t rush them into getting engaged soon after meeting. Indian families are also getting increasingly open to inter-caste marriages, even in cases where the girl may be slightly older than the boy, which was a big no-no earlier.
Q: How has Covid changed the dynamics of marriages and relationships? What has been your success rate till date?
A: During the Covid-19 lockdown, we saw a lot of traction and had many youngsters approach us for finding them the right match. This could be attributed to two main reasons: the primary being the fact that life, in general, had slowed down and ‘work from home’ gave people enough time to think seriously about settling down. The second reason for this was the fact that there was a sense of loneliness that many young individuals felt while being confined in their homes, which led them to understand the importance of companionship and having a life partner. We have, in fact, made several virtual introductions during the lockdown, most of which have gone on to become successful relationships/marriages. Till date, we have brought over 100 couples together in marriage.
Q: What is the revenue stream in MatchMe?
A: We do a fee-based search. Our fee starts at Rs 2 lakh and goes upwards, a part of which is taken as a membership fee, as we need a commitment from the client, for the service we provide and the time and effort we invest in finding the right match for them. The remainder of the fee is charged only when we are successful in finding a suitable match and when a marriage is fixed.