Thirty-four year old Ritesh Zhunke from Nagpur is in news for the last few days. His decision to leave his job and become Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) by starting a small transport business has turned into a nightmare as over 500 girls have rejected his marriage proposal. Especially in the times of Covid-19, girls are preferring grooms with jobs, established businesses or even farmers but not the ones who are trying to start their own business.

Ritesh started the goods transport business by purchasing a tempo after he failed to earn enough in the mass communication sector. He is earning about ₹40,000 per month, but no girl wants to marry him.

Tough times

Prasanna Patil from Kolhapur has a small graphic design firm but at the age of 38, he is finding it difficult to convince girls that he will earn handsome money and will establish his business. “ After the Covid-19 outbreak girls and their families say that in these unstable times, they would prefer a boy with the stable income,” he says. Hundreds of youth in Maharashtra who lost their jobs in cities have either returned to villages or trying hands in small entrepreneurship. However, many of them have to shelve their marriage plans.

Before the Covid-19 outbreak, Kushal Zodge was working with a travel company. As the company pulled down shutters, Kushal started a snacks outlet in Pune using his savings. He says that he told his mother not to look for a bride for him. “I know what answers I am going to receive from girls and their parents. Let this phase pass and let’s see what happens” he says. He wants to continue his snacks outlet but will join a travel company till he gets married and then back to the business.

Boys with stable jobs, especially government jobs are in popular demand in the marriage market, but the demand has gone up in Covid times, according to marriage bureaus.

Kavita Ingale has completed her graduation and is preparing for competitive exams. She says that in the arranged marriage market girls avoid boys who are still in the beginning phase of their business. “Also, Covid-19 has changed everything. There is no guarantee that new startups and small-scale businesses would continue” she says.

“ There are no jobs in the market and there is no possibility of new job openings. There are hundreds and thousands of youth who are trying to earn livelihood with their own ventures. Covid-19 ensued restrictions and lockdowns continue to make survival difficult for these young boys. Many of them will cross their marriage-age while looking for a bride ” says Sunil Patil a matchmaker.

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