MAM
Shaadi Point & Bejan Daruwalla tie-up to offer personalized Astro services
New Delhi, October 17, 2005: Shaadi Point, the offline business division of Shaadi.com – the No.1 Matrimonial Services Provider – today launched Astro Services at more than 64 Shaadi Point outlets across 46 cities in India. In a tie up with renowned astrologer Bejan Daruwalla (Ganesha Speaks), Shaadi Points across India will now offer advice on Janampatri, kundali matching and mahurats.
Astro Services is a value-addition to the already existing array of matchmaking services that Shaadi Point has to offer and is a conscious effort to making Shaadi Points across the country as one-stop-destinations for matrimony related activities.
Speaking at the launch of Astro services Mr. Om Prakash H, Business Head of Shaadi Point said “Our new service will immensely be useful to those looking for a suitable match, from getting advice on matching horoscopes to auspicious date & time to carry out important activities from personalized horoscopes to finding out whether the couples are compatible”.
The process of availing this service is very simple. All that the member has to do is fill a form which provides details like date of birth, time of birth, place, etc. required for analysis. The Shaadi Point advisor sends the requirement to Mr. Bejan Daruwalla(Ganesha Speaks), and within
48 to 72 hours the member is provided with the astrological report.
Following are the services that can be availed of:
Detailed Janampatri with interpretation: This report is based on the member’ s date, time and place of birth. This determines his / her astrological bio-data, which will be useful in the future for various purposes. E.g. Marriage, Career choice, travel timing, etc. It will also help members get astrological assistance in solving their problems. The report will be delivered to the centre in 72 hours after the order is activated. Cost Rs. 251/-.
Kundali Matching: This report will contain Mr. Daruwala’s detailed opinion on the compatibility of the member with his / her chosen life partner. For this service, the member has to submit his own details, such as name, date, place & time of birth, etc along with that of the partner’s. The report will cost Rs. 251/-.
Personalised Mahurat: This service enables the member to know the auspicious time for all the important activities in his lifetime, like marriage, a job switch or travel, change of residence, purchase of vehicle, investments, etc. He can specify his preferred range of dates and the occasion. Accordingly, a detailed report will be prepared as per the member’s requirement. Cost Rs. 251/-.
Ask a question: If the member has any important questions concerning his career, relationships, health, finance etc., he / she can avail of this service. The 1 page report is available for Rs. 501/-.
Shaadi Point is the first national chain comprehensive matchmaking centers (retail outlets) across the nation. Every Shaadi Point is connected to the central database of prospects through a proprietary technology, specially built for this purpose. This helps create a pool of marriageable prospects from across the nation, which is available to members from any Shaadi Point Centers in the country.
The wedding industry is essentially unorganised in India. Shaadi Point has been an endeavour of Shaadi.com to lend structure to the fragmented matchmaking and wedding services industry so that customers can benefit through its efficient, scalable and low-cost services.
Currently, over 29 Shaadi Point centers are operational in the Western Zone itself in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nasik, Kolhapur, Sholapur, Sangli, Amravati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Baroda, Surat, Indore, Gwalior, Bhopal and Jabalpur. In the Northern Zone, there are over 23 Shaadi Point centers that are operational in Delhi, Jalandhar, Varanasi, Chandigarh, Panchgula, Jaipur, Patna, Lucknow. In the Southern Zone, 10 Shaadi Point centers are operational in Hyderabad, Cochin, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Madurai and Chennai. In the Eastern Zone, 2 Shaadi Point centers are operational in Kolkatta. With at least 50 more centers getting operational in two months in various cities across India, the plan is to set up a network of 500 centers across India within 2 years..
USP of Shaadi Point
1. The Choice advantage: A global choice of lakhs of members cutting across professions, regions, religions and communities.
2. The Privacy advantage: Customers can access a wide and varied database of profiles without revealing their identity.
3. The Free membership advantage: The initial membership for customers is absolutely free, thereby eliminating the barrier to entry for customers.
4. The Technology advantage: The power of technology is used to make the matchmaking process simple and fast.
5. The Longer life advantage: A profile is displayed for several months as compared to one day in the case of newspaper classifieds.
6. The Professional advantage: Shaadi Point brings together an eminent team of research & development professionals, software developers, noted marriage experts, and advisors.
7. The Experience advantage: Over 10 years of experience in this industry
About People Interactive (I) Pvt. Ltd.
People Interactive (I) Pvt Ltd is part of People Group and owns new media and technology businesses such as Shaadi.com & Fropper.com. While Shaadi.com pioneered the online matrimony industry in India, Fropper.com is India’s first friendship and social networking site. Since its launch Fropper.com has emerged as a key innovator in online community businesses.
People Interactive is also a member of Nasscom, MAIT, FICCI, and a primary member of IOAI.
About People Group
People Group was founded by Anupam Mittal in 1997 and has consistently grown by over 200% each year since then. The group currently employs over 300 people and is headquartered in Mumbai. In addition to 5 regional offices in India, People Group also has operations in UAE, UK, and the USA. Besides People Interactive, the group is also a very strong player in the wireless space through its company People Infocom (I) Pvt. Ltd. Its brand MAUJ is a leading wireless content and services provider and runs GPRS portals for Cellular players that include, IDEA, BSNL, & MTNL. People Group is also, involved in film production and event management through subsidiary companies, People Pictures and PEP Management respectively.
For further information: Kanika Pal @ Perfect Relations, Ph: 24372172/
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
