Playing Cupid

Nandini Chakraborty's offline matrimonial services company, Marrygold, helps well heeled professionals find soulmatesWhen young and exuberant Nandini Chakraborty realised that she excelled at bringing together cosmopolitan and open minded people looking for like-minded partners, she set up Marrygold, an offline matrimonial service, based in Bangalore, for well-heeled and busy professionals. In a freewheeling chat with MiD DAY, she describes the challenges of her job. matchmaker: Nandini Chakraborty is determined to keep Marrygold's services offline because her clients value discretionu00a0 What kept you busy before you started Marrygold?I started my career as an HR executive in 1998. Then, for three years I worked in the fashion industry with designer Manoviraj Khosla. I moved back to HR beforeu00a0 Iu00a0 started my own company called Race. Itu00a0 was a training and HR consultancy firm. When and why did you decide to turn to matchmaking?A few years ago, a close friendu00a0 confided that he was looking for a wife. A globe-trotter with a busy life, he hoped to find someoneu00a0 who matched his wavelength. He was very happy with one of the profiles I sent him and he had a fairy-tale wedding. I am a people person. I have a large social network and friends all over the world. Iu00a0 realised I'd been playing matchmaker for years. That's when I decided to launch Marrygold. Though Marrygold was launched in 2005, you took a break in between and relaunched the company last month. What happened in the interim?Between 2006 and 2007, we my business partner and I helped four couples tie the knot.u00a0 My partner decided to move on in 2008. I was busy with my baby, so I had to take things easy on the work front. I re-launched the company this year and am looking forward to helping more people find their soulmates.Why not an online matrimonial service?My clients are mostly above 30 years. They are people who are well settled professionally. As a firm, we believe in honouring the complete trust that they place in us. That is the main reason why we are an offline company. My high-profile clients prefer discretion. How do you shortlist clients?I do not accept requests from people who are looking for a partner based on caste oru00a0 community. I don't believe in matching horoscopes either. Prospective clients have to fill up an application form. I scrunitise the form and if the client meets the criteria, I get cracking.u00a0 I concentrate on education and qualification, family background and values. As a firm, Marrygold supports inter-cultural and inter-religious marriages. Bringing people together must give you plenty of fascinating stories...As my client base covers 26-year-olds to 70-year-olds, I meet an interesting mix of people. Those above 50 years are usually seeking companionship. It gives me a warm feeling when divorcees/ widows meet their soulmates who add sunshine to their lives. As matchmaker, I never judge people. I believe that every individual has the right to make and take the decisions they want. Do you hope to set up more branches of Marrygold?I have a genuine interest in people. This interest has driven me to set up such a service. I strongly believe that it is important for people to find someone they can spend the rest of their lives with. I feel good if I can help them in their search. The satisfaction of a job well done keeps me going and adds a lot of positivity to my life.u00a0Today, Marrygold has grown from a hobby into a respected brand for a niche kind of matchmaking. My goal is to make Marrygold a premium matchmaking services company. I am also planning on extending our services tou00a0 Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad by the end of this year.What's the story behind the name, Marrygold?(Laughs) I thought it was an interesting twist to the flower marigold, which is considered auspicious and used in weddings. Log on to www.marrygold.co.in for more information.