shaadi.com
{{Short description|Indian matrimonial website}}
{{For|the general concept in South Asian weddings|Shaadi (disambiguation){{!}}Shaadi}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Shaadi.com
| logo = New logo of Shaadi.svg
| logo_alt = A wordmark displaying shaadi.com with an encircled heart above it
| type = Private
| traded_as =
| predecessor = Sagaai.com
| founded = 1997
| location_city = Mumbai
| location_country = India
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Anupam Mittal
| industry = Matchmaking
| products =
| revenue = {{increase}} {{INRConvert|261|c}} (FY22)
| operating_income =
| net_income = {{decrease}} {{INRConvert|-13|c}} (FY22){{cite news |last1=Anupam |first1=Suprita |title=Inside The Messy Split Between Anupam Mittal's Shaadi.com And WestBridge |url=https://inc42.com/features/westbridge-anupam-mittal-shaadi-the-dark-side-of-shareholders-agreement/ |access-date=24 January 2025 |work=Inc42 Media |date=5 September 2024 |language=en}}
| assets =
| equity =
| num_employees =
| parent = People Group
| subsid =
| website = {{URL|shaadi.com/}}
| footnotes =
}}
Shaadi.com is an Indian online matrimonial service founded in 1997. Its core market is India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh,{{cite book |last1=Charsley |first1=Katharine |title=Transnational Pakistani Connections: Marrying 'Back Home' |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge}} but the company operates globally, with offices in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
History
Shaadi.com began as Sagaai.com{{cite web|last=Sen|first=Satrajit|title=Arranged marriages over the internet were a laughable idea when Shaadi.com started!|url=http://www.indiadigitalreview.com/interviews/arranged-marriages-over-internet-were-laughable-idea-when-shaadicom-started-anupam-g-mitt|publisher=Indian Digital Review|accessdate=5 Dec 2011|archive-date=11 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111111049/http://www.indiadigitalreview.com/interviews/arranged-marriages-over-internet-were-laughable-idea-when-shaadicom-started-anupam-g-mitt|url-status=live}} in 1997. Its founder, Anupam Mittal, changed its name to Shaadi.com in 1999, believing it to be a more marketable name. Its initial success was primarily among non-resident Indians,{{cite book|last=Paul|first=Jessie|title=No Money Marketing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uSU856t-4csC&pg=PA40|accessdate=15 September 2011|date=1 December 2009|publisher=Tata McGraw-Hill Education|isbn=978-0-07-015270-0|page=40}} as Internet adoption across India was poor at the time, and conservative parents were hesitant to arrange marriages through a new startup. Despite some early personnel troubles, Shaadi.com saw success over the next fifteen years as Internet adoption increased and people became more receptive to online matchmaking. By 2008, it had become the world's leading matrimonial website for Asians,{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3356403/Shaadi.com-a-match-made-in-cyberspace.html | title=Shaadi.com: a match made in cyberspace | newspaper=The Daily Telegraph | date=7 June 2008 | accessdate=18 July 2015 | author=Sethi, Anita | archive-date=22 August 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822233455/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3356403/Shaadi.com-a-match-made-in-cyberspace.html | url-status=live }} and had twenty million users by 2011.{{cite news|title=Shaadi.com voted the best Matrimonial Website in the 2011 Reader's Choice Awards|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/press-releases/shaadi-com-voted-best-matrimonial-website-in-2011-reader-s-choice-awards-111060100107_1.html|newspaper=Business Standard|accessdate=18 July 2015|archive-date=16 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216101216/http://www.business-standard.com/article/press-releases/shaadi-com-voted-best-matrimonial-website-in-2011-reader-s-choice-awards-111060100107_1.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web | url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-07-19/news/29790903_1_people-group-shaadi-com-online-market | title=Social networking sites are not a threat to conventional websites | publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. | work=The Economic Times | date=19 July 2011 | access-date=18 July 2015 | archive-date=22 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722034539/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-07-19/news/29790903_1_people-group-shaadi-com-online-market | url-status=dead }}
In addition to online matchmaking, Shaadi.com runs over one hundred Shaadi Centres, retail outlets that offer matrimony-related services.{{cite web | url=http://www.shaadicentre.com/info/about-us | title=About ShaadiCentre | publisher=ShaadiCentre.com | accessdate=18 July 2015 | archive-date=12 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712023946/http://www.shaadicentre.com/info/about-us | url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/printpage.asp?section_id=4&news_id=43895&tag=36389 |publisher=Exchange 4 Media |title=Shaadi.com weds new media to celebrate its 15th birthday |url-status=live |accessdate=28 July 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305202349/https://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/printpage.asp?section_id=4&news_id=43895&tag=36389 | archive-date=5 March 2014}} The first was opened in Mumbai in 2004.
In 2009 it collaborated with StarPlus to produce India's first marriage-based reality television show.{{cite web|url=http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/45581/|title=Shaadi.com Ties Up with Star Plus for India's First Reality Matrimonial TV Show|publisher=News Wire Today|date=27 January 2009|accessdate=15 September 2011|archive-date=8 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008054339/http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/45581/|url-status=live}}
In 2012 Shaadi.com launched the Facebook game Angry Brides to bring awareness to dowry abuses in India.{{cite news | url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/angry-brides-indian-dating-site-173010 | title=Angry Brides: Indian dating site launches anti-dowry Facebook game based on Angry Birds | date=17 January 2012 | agency=Daily Mirror | accessdate=18 July 2012 | location=UK | pages=1 | archive-date=22 July 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722193639/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/angry-brides-indian-dating-site-173010 | url-status=live }}
In 2014, Shaadi.com launched Shaadi Cares, a social initiative to educate people regarding marital issues, including dowry and domestic violence.
In 2016, Shaadi.com acquired Thrill Group, a startup that included two dating products, Frivil and Fropper, founded by expat entrepreneurs Josh Israel and Devin Serago.{{cite web | url=http://techcircle.vccircle.com/2016/12/20/exclusive-shaadi-com-acquires-mobile-dating-app-frivil/ | title=Shaadi.com acquires dating app Frivil | publisher=TechCircle | accessdate=August 15, 2022 | author=Prasad, Prisha | archive-date=May 7, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507153327/http://techcircle.vccircle.com/2016/12/20/exclusive-shaadi-com-acquires-mobile-dating-app-frivil/ | url-status=live }}
Reception
In February 2020, Shaadi.com was criticised in the United Kingdom for having an option to filter out Scheduled Castes from algorithms, which was alleged to be caste-based discrimination in violation of the country's Equality Act 2010. In response, Shaadi.com said that the option "works as an important proxy to determine lifestyle fitment" but that it did not "remove any community from user preferences."{{Cite web|url= https://www.livemint.com/news/india/indian-matrimonial-site-shaadi-com-under-fire-in-uk-over-caste-based-matches-11580648479229.html|title= Indian matrimonial site Shaadi.com under fire in UK over caste-based matches}}
Recognition
- Business Today highlighted Shaadi.com as one of India's ten best marketers in 2007.{{cite web | url=http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/indias-best-marketers/0/671.html | title=India's best marketers | publisher=Living Media India Limited | work=Business Today | date=21 October 2007 | accessdate=18 July 2015 | archive-date=22 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722073353/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/indias-best-marketers/0/671.html | url-status=live }}
- Shaadi.com was chosen for The Best Hindu Matrimonial Website category in About.com's 2011 Readers' Choice Awards.{{cite web | url=http://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/ss/The-Best-In-Hinduism-2011-Readers-Choice-Awards.htm#step5 | title=The Best in Hinduism - 2011 Readers' Choice Awards | publisher=About.com | accessdate=18 July 2015 | author=Das, Subhamoy |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721171340/http://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/ss/The-Best-In-Hinduism-2011-Readers-Choice-Awards.htm|archive-date=July 21, 2015}}
- Shaadi.com placed silver in the "Best Use of Ecommerce - Self (own) brands Product/ Services" category of the 2012 Indian Digital Media Awards.{{cite web | url=http://www.exchange4media.com/idma2012/winner.html | title=exchange4media IDMA Awards 2012 | publisher=exchange4media Group | work=Indian Digital Media Awards | accessdate=18 July 2015 | archive-date=13 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913002656/http://www.exchange4media.com/idma2012/winner.html | url-status=live }}
- Angry Brides placed silver in the "Social Media - Best Use/Campaign on Social Network - Social Cause" category of the 2013 Indian Digital Media Awards.{{cite web | url=http://www.exchange4media.com/idma2013/winner2013.asp | title=Complete List of IDMA 2013 Winners | publisher=exchange4media Group | work=Indian Digital Media Awards 2013 | accessdate=18 July 2015 | archive-date=24 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924020532/http://www.exchange4media.com/idma2013/winner2013.asp | url-status=live }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|www.shaadi.com}}