Exclusive Interview with Priya Shah, CEO of Priya Shah The Matchmaker

HBW News takes pride in recognizing and honoring Priya Shah, CEO of Priya Shah The Matchmaker for achievement in the Matchmaking service sector for Best Wedding Matchmaker. Priya Shah is a go-getter and a thought leader who believes in leading by example. As an Indian Matchmaker, she has revolutionized the way marriages were fixed earlier. Let’s know more about her challenges, experiences, and contributions:

Please tell us a bit about yourself:

I got married at the age of 18 and it was an arranged marriage. I decided to step forward and bring changes to the arranged marriage system. I volunteered to find proper matches for people around me and was successful at it. I started it professionally in 1991 and charged only Rs. 251. Today, it’s almost 30 years, I have been helping people find their soulmates. I did my Ph.D. in marriage counseling and have also written a book about marriages. I am honored to have received National and International Awards for my contribution to the matchmaking industry.

What were the challenges that you faced initially and how did you overcome them?

Matchmaking is a challenging industry where we meet all sorts of clients. I am proud to have happy clients. But, my major challenge is dealing with clients who ask for a refund even after taking our services. After providing promised services according to our company policies the fee is non-refundable. I feel such problematic clients are untrustworthy and will trouble the families whoever they get married to, hence we cancel their membership. As a professional, I strongly believe in being honest and transparent at every step. 

What has been your most significant achievement?

I have been in the matchmaking industry for 30 years and I have made a name for myself. I host a monthly meetup in 5 * and 7* hotels exclusively for professionals like MBAs, CAs, Engineers, Doctors, and so on. Having arranged more than 9000 marriages so far, I am glad to organize this meetup every month for more than 200 families. I also launched a wedding magazine, India’s first wedding magazine launched by Dream Girl – Hemamalini Ji.

How do you come up with new ideas?

I am a firm believer that matches are made in heaven. As a matchmaker, I take all the efforts to filter genuine people from fake ones. I provide complete biodata and pictures along with family details and addresses to the clients. I talk to the clients and find out their exact requirements and start working on the suitable matches. I fix the meeting between the matches till they connect with each other and are ready for marriage.

Were you first offered the Indian matchmaking series on Netflix? 

Yes, it’s true. I was offered an Indian Matchmaking series on Netflix but I rejected it as it demanded my clients to appear on National & International television and share their stories. I feel that marriage is a private affair between brides and grooms and their families. It’s not ethical to reveal their confidential information, hence I turned the offer down.

What are your views about the Indian matchmaking series that streamed on Netflix?

I have been serving this industry for 30 years and Sima Ji has been there for 10 years. She worked from home and was catering only to the Marwari community. I don’t differentiate between communities and cater to everyone across the globe. I have branches in Dubai, London, and Newyork. I personally believe that Indian families are far more broad-minded and modern as compared to the way they have been shown on Netflix. Today’s parents give full freedom to their children irrespective of love marriage or arrange marriage.

How different are you from other matchmakers?

I am more empathetic towards people and take all the effort to find suitable matches for them. I have the immense industry knowledge and technical education to serve clients better. With more than 30 years of matchmaking experience, I have helped more than 9k clients in finding their better halves.

If you are asked to participate in Bigg Boss, what message would you give to your Indian audience?

I would love to be a part of Bigg Boss Season 15. As a face reading and brain reading expert, I knew Salman Khan never wanted to get married. Also, I would predict the love life and marriage life of all the contestants of Bigg Boss Season 15.

What is your future plan?

I want to offer the best to my clients and would want to work till my last breath. I envision fixing more than 10 k marriages in the near future.