Two bachelors, Karthik Iyer, a software professional and Hinesh Jethwani, an entrepreneur faced the same dilemma – the inability to find the right partner through the zillion existing arranged matrimonial websites in the country. They put their heads together and came up with an idea to start an online matrimonial app called Spouseup. Karthik’s cousin, Vinod Carthik, an IIT gold medallist who runs an orphanage, also joined them.
“We no longer look for partners who stay at home and cook for us. All of us look for a friend in our fiancées. However, so many middle men are involved in the arranged marriage set up that there is no real way to know a person,” says Karthik.
And that is where Spouseup will help. “Refer.Connect.Marry” is its philosophy. It works through a network of friends and friends of friends.
Unlike regular matrimonial sites which just match your kundlis , religion and caste to find you a partner, Spouseup joins hands with Facebook to do that. Your likes, status updates and pictures feed into its match-making database and, in a second, it suggests prospective brides and grooms with similar tastes to yours. “This is not an app for dating but serious matrimonial relationship,” clarifies Karthik. “Because, once your relationship is made public, then it is a serious affair.”
You can also turn into a matchmaker for your friend. By clicking on the ‘Matchmaker’ icon, you can write testimonials for your friend and refer him to your other single friends. “It works the same way like how it used to in our parents’ time when relatives or neighbours found suitable alliances for you,” says Karthik. But here, your Facebook friend has the upper hand. And once you find your spouse, you can chat with him through the chat machine built into the app.
Internet has levelled the cultural differences in a vast country such as India, says Karthik. “We bond on common interests. We are not limited by our locations. I might be a Tamil Brahmin but I would still love tikka masala and a Punjabi can take to curd rice. We no longer make friends solely based on our caste and religion.”
However for those who want to stick to the traditional routine of match making, the app will also find you matches based on the horoscopes.
In the future, spouseup is also planning to tie up with sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter, so that people can find partners from the same professional field as theirs. Karthik is working on improving the app to detect compatible matches at a 1 km radius from the user. “This will help those who go to a new city and want to find a partner who belongs to that place. Another idea is to allow the users to configure the DNA of their future partners by putting together similar interests.”
Lack of innovation has made the regular matrimonial sites jaded, feels Karthik. “Compatibility of the kundlis is not solely enough for a successful marriage. Despite coming from the same caste and religion, people are different. And people are looking for someone to share their lives with. Whoever has heard about Spouseup, has been asking me, “Why didn’t we do this before?”
But, there are challenges in pursuing a start-up in the city. “You need the capital and financial support. Few institutions and companies will venture to invest in a young initiative. We are still in the early phase and hope to widen our customer base in future. Our aim is to become a global platform for matrimony.”
The app is available online, and the Google Play store. It will soon be launched on iPhones.
