Why arranged marriages in India sustain a profitable matchmaking market

For far too long, the tradition of arranged marriages in India played a pivotal role in Bollywood romantic tragedies. Parents or the family elders selecting a spouse stood in the way of true love. A disagreement of great proportions about class, caste or religion forcing lovers to defend their choice. From Mughal-E-Azam(1960) to Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak(1988) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge(1995) to Sairat (2016), the trope was box-office gold. 

In 2026—the era of dating apps defined by patterns of ghosting, cushioning, and situationships—the tables have turned. Eligible young Indians are seeking help for an arranged set-up, on their own terms. 

Netflix’s reality series  Indian Matchmaking(2020-) further normalised conversations around  matchmaking in India, spotlighting a younger generation choosing curated introductions over chaotic online swiping. The show’s second season trended for two weeks on India's Top 10 shows on Netflix, besides making it to the top 10 lists of 13 countries including Canada and the United States. 

“Sima Taparia [the matchmaker on the show] is an independent matchmaker, much like the traditional matchmaker who used to go by what the parents preferred. But today there are small marriage bureaus that focus on communities or religion or just IIT/IIM graduates—platforms like shaadi.com and jeevansathi.com. People even use social media to find someone,” says Mansi Sharma, a producer who worked on Indian Matchmaking, besides two seasons of Splitsvilla, one of the first dating reality shows in India—still ongoing—and Dare To Date. 

Dating app fatigue in India is driving matchmaking 

One reason for the uptick in matchmaking is simple: dating app fatigue in India.. Despite the illusions of endless choice, commitment continues to remain scarce. “So, the business of matchmakers will grow, especially as people give up on apps,” says Sharma. 

Bumble’s quarterly revenue fell 10 per cent  year-over-year to $246.16 million in Q3 of 2025. Earnings are expected to decline sharply in 2026.  A 2023 CNN Business report cited data from Pew Research Center revealing  Tinder downloads have reduced to over a third from its peak in 2014, while paying users fell by 8 per cent in 2022. 

“Dating fatigue is still temporary. It’s the emotional scarring caused by ghosting and similar behaviours which stays long-term. So, people are choosing the safer, less romantic, ‘arranged’ route,” says Rushi Ahuja, founder of UnShaadi, a matchmaking platform in India, established in 2017. 

UnShaadi uses psychometric analysis to assess an individual’s emotional intelligence and maturity. They reject 68.9 per cent of people who apply. Families trying to find a match for someone aren’t allowed to register or pay. “The person needs to want to do this. Or else it won’t work,” says Ahuja. 

The platform introduces three to four curated matches per month, withholding social media details until after multiple dates. They stop when participants have been exclusive, stable, and solid for two months. UnShaadi’s clientele has tripled since its launch. 

Smaller, niche matchmakers in India often appeal over websites and apps because of the perceived safety and accountability. Besides doing a background check, matchmakers are quite social and have a community of people they know that they work with. “Matchmaking works in India today because they cater to community-based niches catering to different budgets. And a lot more people are opting for it because it’s easier in every aspect—including convincing the parents,” says Sharma.

“DATING-APP FATIGUE COMES FROM A SPACE OF NOT KNOWING HOW TO DATE AND GIVING INTO AN URGENCY DUE TO TIMELINES, OVERTHINKING, OR ASSUMPTION-LED DECISION-MAKING. BUT FINDING A LIFE PARTNER ACTUALLY REQUIRES THE OPPOSITE: CLARITY, PATIENCE, AND SELF-AWARENESS"

- Shalini Singh

Taruni Shroff Marriage Bureau (TSMB), established in 1987 by the late Taruni Shroff in Mumbai, remains community-specific. Now run by the founder’s nephew, Zameer Shroff, TSMB is particular about who they accept. “[We take on] someone established, who has seen the world, knows what they want, and is capable of making decisions instead of leaving it to their parents,” says Shroff. The bureau presents 40-50 prospects annually per client. 

For the younger generation, however, community increasingly  extends beyond their caste or neighbourhood  to campus. In 2025, Tinder launched Tinder U™ in India, enabling campus-based connections within a verified college network. “By opting in with a valid college email address, students can unlock a space where they can connect with other students. This makes dating contextual and community-led for the younger generation,” says Aditi Shorewal, Communications Lead for Tinder in India and Korea. 

The move signals that even within dating apps in India, platforms are experimenting with contained, identity-based networks rather than purely open discovery. This is where matchmaking in India operates differently. It doesn’t rely on algorithmic matching alone. Platforms like TSMB actively intervene.  Feedback is taken from the client after every date, parents are introduced only after the potential couple has had four to five meetings. “If we find there is a 40 per cent chance that someone could like someone else, we also try talking them into another meeting,” says Shroff, who shares the clients’ biodatas before the first in-person meeting without sharing social media handles. 

The nudging works because the problem in looking for a partner is increasingly one of dating literacy. “Many in India date without clarity, which leads to burnout or mismatches. Even dating-app fatigue comes from a space of not knowing how to date and giving into an urgency due to timelines, overthinking, or assumption-led decision-making. But finding a life partner actually requires the opposite: clarity, patience, and self-awareness,” says Shalini Singh, founder of matchmaking platform andwemet, which operates via WhatsApp. 

Andwemet extends beyond mere introductions. It offers structured dating guidance services for members and non-members, helping singles define filters, understand dealbreakers, refine introductions, and navigate the dating process consciously. Singh says, “Sixty three singles who signed up for their relationship guidance sessions [since the launch of the platform] found their partners outside the platform after the sessions.” 

“The slow-paced design encourages members to take responsibility for how they search and date rather than moving impulsively from one profile to another,” says Singh.

The business model of matchmaking in India 

The intervention by matchmakers in India has become increasingly deliberate. In 2026, one of the biggest challenges facing the industry is commitment itself. According to Shroff, TSMB’s success rate has declined from 50 to 60 matches per year a decade ago to 15 to 18 successful matches today. And yet, profits have doubled in the same period. 

Pricing has evolved, TSMB’s packages range from ₹ 30,000 to ₹ 5 lakh annually. Some charge a percentage of the wedding spend. “This can be about 3 per cent. It might seem less but today most people spend anything over ₹ 1 crore on a wedding, so it amounts to a good sum,” says Shroff. 

“MATCHMAKING WORKS IN INDIA TODAY BECAUSE THEY CATER TO COMMUNITY-BASED NICHES CATERING TO DIFFERENT BUDGETS. AND A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE OPTING FOR IT BECAUSE IT’S EASIER IN EVERY ASPECT—INCLUDING CONVINCING THE PARENTS."

- Mansi Sharma

Sirf Coffee, a premium matchmaking service in India, charges ₹3,60,000 for a 12-month package, plus a success fee of ₹5,40,000 upon marriage or long-term commitment. Sirf Coffee also offers a 45-day membership priced at ₹24,000, which includes simply being on their database and an advisory session. Meanwhile, a  six-month model costing ₹1,80,000 includes expert guidance, a dedicated matchmaker, and three to six curated dates. “One in two first dates result in a second date, as opposed to the client opting to meet other people,” says Sunil Hiranandani, co-founder of Sirf Coffee, which has a roster of about 1,000 clients a year. They also do invite-only offline events—four in India and four abroad—every year. 

Some matchmaking platforms price themselves higher not for a premium appeal but as a filter. UnShaadi has tripled its profit over the last near-eight years primarily due to revised pricing. They started with ₹5,000 a month, then ₹15,000, then ₹18,000 in another three months. Today, they charge ₹51,000 plus GST for a three-month subscription. 

“We wanted to avoid people who are willing to pay ₹15,000 for a few weekends of fun. Our no-refund policy and starting period of three months also further ensures we get people looking to date intentionally,” says Ahuja, who claims an 89.7 per cent success rate and an eight-week waitlist. 

Matrimonial platforms in India continue to hold steady, having already weathered the transition from newspaper classifieds to paid digital subscriptions. “They digitised something people were already paying for,” says Singh. 

Are dating apps in India really on the decline?

Given the popularity of matrimonial platforms in urban India, are dating apps the only matchmaking services that are losing out? 

“Apps are designed for investors, not for consumers,” says Ahuja. Most apps are designed in such a way that people stay on it or keep coming back to it. “The moment someone gets into a relationship, they leave the app.”

A February 2026 Investing.comreport noted: “Tinder saw direct revenue decline 3 per cent year-over-year to $463.8 million, with an 8 per cent drop in payers to 8.77 million. Despite these challenges, Tinder managed to increase revenue per payer by 5 per cent to $17.63 and improved its operating income by 5 per cent to $238.6 million, maintaining a strong 50 per cent margin.”

It added that Hinge grew “with direct revenue increasing 26 per cent year-over-year to $186.5 million. The app grew its payer base by 17 per cent to 1.89 million.”

“Dating apps will thrive even though profitability is low despite dating apps being used far more than before because the younger generation connects via screens,” says Ronak Sheth, a Mumbai-based marketing professional. Dating apps remain widely used because people are lonely and looking for connection. “People just don’t admit that they are on them because when dating apps were initially released, they were largely for hookups—a connotation that might bring some judgement in India. Plus, people don’t want to admit that they were unable to find somebody by themselves,” says Ahuja.

"DATING FATIGUE IS STILL TEMPORARY. IT’S THE EMOTIONAL SCARRING CAUSED BY GHOSTING AND SIMILAR BEHAVIOURS WHICH STAYS LONG-TERM. SO, PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING THE SAFER, LESS ROMANTIC, ‘ARRANGED’ ROUTE"

- Rushi Ahuja

“As more individuals move to cities and become digitally connected, dating is increasingly integrated into everyday life. Singles are becoming more intentional, moving away from high-volume swiping toward platforms that prioritise meaningful connection,” says Anukool Kumar, Senior Director, Regional Head, India & Middle East - Match Group. Their latest launch, The League, offers curated matches and tiered subscriptions costing up to ₹12,999 for a month. 

“The growing number of platforms—for dating or marriage—indicates that user demand remains strong despite public frustration. If anything, it reflects how complex and emotionally overwhelming modern dating has become,” says Singh. Launched in July 2024, andwemet reached 400 active members within five months. It is not yet profitable, but Singh notes growing interest from Indians based in the United States, Dubai, and Europe. 

“While dating fatigue is now a global phenomenon, in India, matchmaking has always been a lucrative business. We have a cultural defect where, as an Indian community, we're not really considered ‘successful’ until we're married,” says Hiranandani

From priests to online platforms: the evolution of matchmaking in India

The roots of matchmaking in India predate apps by centuries. Priests were the original matchmakers—they matched kundalis and negotiated alliances. 

A 2022 studytitled Understanding the changing patterns of marriage alliance in India: Ancient society vs. contemporary society found that matchmakers used to serve two types of functions in India: to scout for promising matches and negotiate between the two families. “Called ‘nayan’, the matchmaker had to consider factors like family background, economic position, general character, family reputation, the value of the dowry, and the effect of alliance on the property. It wasn’t a paid gig but the nayan would be given gifts by the families.” 

“WHILE DATING FATIGUE IS NOW A GLOBAL PHENOMENON, IN INDIA, MATCHMAKING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS. WE HAVE A CULTURAL DEFECT WHERE, AS AN INDIAN COMMUNITY, WE'RE NOT REALLY CONSIDERED ‘SUCCESSFUL’ UNTIL WE'RE MARRIED.”

 - Sunil Hiranandani

As urban migration disrupted extended family networks, matchmakers like Taruni Shroff came into the picture, offering as a social service of sorts that catered to a sub-community—first just for friends, and then friends of friends, and so on. This phenomenon was followed by the accelerating rise of matrimonial sites in India, particularly in metropolitan centres.

“Today, given the lack of close-knit communities, as people are strewn all over the world, matchmaking bureaus like TSMB, catering to specific communities, fill the gap,” says Shroff. Today’s shift lies in exercising agency. Increasing incomes and urban independence have allowed individuals greater autonomy in partner selection. 

A February 2024 study on matrimonial sites in India found that matrimonial sites are more popular in metropolitan cities where many people migrate to because of greater job prospects. “Needs evolve with every generation, which has led to these different approaches. And processes and businesses have to evolve according to their target audience,” says Sheth. “The parameters being looked at still include the matching of kundalis, but also alongside conversations about whether the wedding should happen in Hawaii or the Maldives” says Sheth. 

How financial independence is reshaping arranged marriages in India

What has enabled Indians to choose partners on their own terms is their own economic independence.The 2024 study also notes that liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation of the Indian economy has significantly increased the earning capacity of young professionals. Rising incomes have translated to greater personal agency, including in decisions around arranged marriages in India.

 A 2022 study published in the National Library of Medicine similarly links inter-caste and inter-class marriages to autonomy, stating: “Mixed marriages, inter-caste, inter-class marriages occur mostly where there is at least a semblance of autonomy when it comes to choosing partners. These marriages are often viewed as an exercising of power and feminism.”

"TODAY, GIVEN THE LACK OF CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITIES, AS PEOPLE ARE STREWN ALL OVER THE WORLD, MATCHMAKING BUREAUS LIKE TSMB, CATERING TO SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES, FILL THE GAP."

 -Zameer Shroff

Autonomy, once facilitated by dating apps in India, is now reshaping matchmaking in India itself. “Apps gained popularity because they gave people that autonomy,” says Sharma. Millennials wanted to break away from marrying someone their parents chose. They rejected traditional codes. Now, some of those codes are being reinterpreted rather than discarded.  

The shift is less about rebellion and more about reframing. “Most millennials come with the preconceived notion that arranged marriage is a set-up forced by parents,” adds Sharma. “Today it comes from a place of people’s need to find companionship.”