No recession blues for matrimony sites

For most people, recession means waiting or a slump in demand, but not so for matrimony sites.

While the recession has put many major decisions of the common man on the back burner, whether it be buying the first car or a home, it has spurred the desire to have a life partner or rather, as industry insiders would put it, the need to have another source of income.

If matrimony portals are to be believed, every time there is a recession or downturn, traffic and activity on the portals surge.

Call it the urge for double income or a stress buster, most sites have seen higher registrations during downturns.

According to leading matrimony site Jeevansathi.com, the portal had seen a 20 per cent jump in business during 2008 - while there were reports of an impending slowdown, the matrimony business was holding steady.

"We have noticed this trend that whenever there is a downturn, there is heightened activity on our marriage portal," said Hitesh Oberoi, managing director and CEO, Info Edge India. Asked about the reason, Oberoi jokingly said,"Call it the search for double income." InfoEdge also owns the job search portal Naukri.com.

According to an in-house study by Shaadi.com, during recession, the propensity of marriage becomes less in the West. However, in India and other Asian countries, the propensity increases during tough times.

Explaining the phenomenon, Anupam Mittal, founder and managing director of Shaadi.com, said: "In India, we still believe in the concept of sharing maybe that's the reason why the propensity to marriage increases."

However,

he said he has not seen any impact of this trend on his own matrimony site. "Our overall business has been growing from 2008. Even in 2008, we have seen growth. Recession or not, we have not seen any decline. So, to segregate what percentage of business is due to the recession would be difficult for us."

Registrations also peaked on BharatMatrimony, another marriage portal, at a time of turmoil and global turbulence in 2008.

"The trend made us believe that people, far from shying away from marriages, were actually keen on seeking love and comfort in wedded bliss during difficult times," said Murugavel Janakiraman, founder-CEO, Bharatmatrimony.

In 2008, we had seen that recession had little negative impact on marriages even when pink slips were flying all around and pay slips were in short supply, he added.

In fact, people disillusioned at work, deprived of that promised designation or a pay hike, will find more time to focus on more important family and social responsibilities.

However, Yuganand Sinha, retired professor of psychology from Allahabad University, feels it is an urban phenomenon.

"The trend is limited to a certain section of the society - the urban middle-class. It would be unfair to generalise it to the whole population. The urge for a stable life increases when there is economic un-stability."

He said the criteria for selecting a life partner during recession also changes. "In a recession, the demand for government-employed grooms increases."

People who were planning to get married had no hesitation in walking towards the altar because we are all programmed to look for safety and comfort in a caring partner during tough times.