NY TIMES - Apr 23 - A new generation of young Indian professionals has refused to follow the arranged-marriage route, with its emphasis on caste, family ties, wealth and skin color. Parents, while trying to respect their children’s wishes, are trying other measures, like online singles networks such as Floh and TwolyMadlyDeeply. Floh has 500 members, some parents paid $300 annual subscription on their kids’ behalf. Online matchmaking sites have been around in India for quite some time, like Shaadi.com or Bharatmatrimony.com, but they are long shot in a country of a billion-plus people. Many parents disapprove of Indian dating sites as they have a highly skewed to males, and can be crammed with unverified identities. Singles networks like Floh and TwolyMadlyDeeply, with their “verified” memberships, appeal to parents because they promise the exact opposite of digital anonymity. TwolyMadlyDeeply’s members are vetted on the phone before they can join and can only then interact online or through real-time events.
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