Spurred by the success of the online matrimonial services, more websites are now foraying into the Rs 150 crore market segment hoping to claim a pie of the sector that is growing annually at 50-60 per cent.

Video interviews of potential grooms and brides are the latest in the list of exclusive features being tapped by matrimonial sites to help find the perfect match.

"The exclusive segment features video interviews with couples who have found their life partners through the Internet and clips of people who are looking for marriage partners. It will also provide an opportunity for our users to create and publish content on their own," says Murugavel Janakiraman, CEO, Bharatmatrimony.tv.

The site would feature rare videos of celebrities tying the knot. The Web site will also produce capsules covering news, events and developments in the marriage market, he says. "It is the first matrimony portal in the world to launch an exclusive matrimony channel featuring video content in multiple categories on marriages and related subjects. It will publish only video clips. We expect the Web site to attract a huge user base on the strength," Janakiraman adds.

Vivek Khare, business head, Jeevansathi.com, says, "The picture of a marriage broker with a diary tucked-in under his arm is slowly phasing out, giving way to online matrimonial Web sites, the trend finding much acceptance even from the parents."

"We have 15 lakh accessible subscribers. Our Web site is soon going to launch two exclusive services. We are starting a chat service where anybody with Google Talk or Yahoo ID can directly interact. Earlier it was only for the subscribers. Second is 'transliteration' for people who don't feel comfortable with the English language but can easily communicate in Hindi and four other south Indian languages," Khare says.

Last year Essel Group's direct-to-home (DTH) company Dish TV, in association with matrimonial service provider Shaadi.com, launched interactive service on its platform 'Shaadi Active', to facilitate subscribers to choose the profiles of his or her choice displayed on the television screen. "We have the profile base of over 10 million members and more than a million matches to our credit. With the launch of Shaadi Active, our services will now reach a wider user base through Dish TV, without any need to log on to the Internet," says Vibhas Mehta, Business Head, Shaadi.com.

There are also some Web sites exclusively designed for the upper class with wealth worth in crores. The soon to be launched matrimonial Web site elitematrimony.com, which provides an exclusive relationship manager to its each subscriber, is only for the elite class having net worth of around Rs 10 crore. Apart from services going the tech way, there are also some Web sites which offer exclusive platforms to help widows/widowers, single or the separated wanting to start a second innings.

"We help people to overcome social, cultural and intra-personal apprehensions and start a new life. Our efforts are to eliminate the taboo associated with second marriage in India," says Ankur Warikoo, managing director secondshaadi.com, a matrimonial Web site exclusively developed to help people in getting married for second time.

Text: PTI | Photograph: Raj Patidar/Reuters

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