Finding a perfect match, does seem like a difficult task doesn’t it? With arrange marriages still being the standard norm in India, Matrimony sites like Shaadi, Bharat Matrimony and Jeevansaathi, among many others, have acted as the saviour for many. However, it was still hard for the Indian Muslim community, wherein this New Delhi based Matrimony site called Nikah Forever stepped in.
Nikah Forever, is an Indian Muslim Matrimony site, that was founded by Hammad Rahman in 2018. This platform uses technology to address the crucial points required by the users of a Matrimonial service, such as privacy guarantee, relatable content strategy, filters for caste-bases sub-community preferences, and also helping the less tech-savvy people through WhatsApp.
The CEO of Nikah Forever, Hammad Rahman, realized the problems faced by Indian Muslims while finding a perfect match, especially for this generation when finding partners through one’s personal and professional network doesn’t align with India’s custom of arranged marriages. Understanding its untapped potential, he came up with the idea of a Muslim Matrimony site that would help his fellow Indian Muslims to find what they are looking for over the internet. Rahman, the founder further explained his plan saying, “listening to the users first to build context and using this information as a knowledge source to help them find the perfect match.”
With the Covid19 induced lockdown in play, Nikah Forever witnessed an increase in the usage of their Matrimonial site and Matrimonial app, as the Matrimony service was one of the few sectors that grew during the pandemic. “During the stringent lockdown phase, users had more time at their disposal, and physical meetings were a taboo. As an increased proportion of users shifted to online matrimony, our numbers swelled up,” Hammad explained.
While elaborating on their design thinking methodology, the company’s team realized the problems faced by people who could not use internet and technology as effectively as others. These included the elderly population from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. One of the main concerns of these people were the inability to register on the site. “We understood how people faced issues while registering and how it impacted the churn rate. As part of the conversion optimization process, we went about introducing an assist feature wherein a customer service executive in tandem with an AI-based chatbot is assigned to a particular user,” elaborated the CEO. “A lot of parents have registered for the service.”
Just like any other field, Matrimonial sites are no less prone to criticism. A lot of people have criticized the company on various social media platforms and as well as review portals, for including caste/sect-based search filters, as a claim to divide them on the basis of class and caste. However, Hammad Rahman explained the need for these filters, which was not introduced in the beginning but had to be incorporated due to intense public demand. “There shall always be some people who shun the idea, and we have a caste/sect no bar option for them,” added Hammad.
Nikah Forever does not just acts as muslim matrimony app but also works against the existing social evils in our society. This shows how the company is socially responsible and works for the betterment of the society. They have worked on various campaigns be it against Dowry or even the phrase of ‘Big fat Indian wedding.’ Hammad understood the crucial issue of excessive spending on weddings and the burden it puts on the families, along with the issue of dowry. He then initiated campaigns against them, and just to make a mark- their ‘No to Big Fat Indian Weddings’ initiative managed to get more than 1.5 lakh signatures on its online petition.
The company also helps the Muslims, gain knowledge about their religion, especially in regards with the marital practices, through their online blog where they often post articles. These articles are mostly centred around marriage and are made to make people aware of the practices of Islam, along with the rights, roles and responsibilities of a husband and a wife.
Till now, Nikah Forever claims to have close to 75,000 registered users, and is increasing the number by exploring alternate channels. The company has launched a mobile application for its users to improve their convenience along with reach. It aims to expand globally, and have started working towards setting up its base in UAE. In an interview with Newshunt360, Hammad said, “The company is eyeing a $7 Mn revenue and looking to grow their workforce by 5x over the next year.” It is a growing platform and will continue to boost in the future.
