Trump effect? Demand for NRI grooms dips

NEW DELHI: The big, fat American dream wedding isn’t so great any more for Indian parents. NRI grooms are fast losing their most soughtafter tag on matrimonial websites, and it’s US President Donald Trump’s immigration clampdown and the spate of hate crimes in America that appears to have done the damage.

“We have witnessed a 25% fall in queries for NRI grooms, especially those in the US, in the past two months. This number has been on a steady decline since November, but the sharpest fall came in February because of the political developments there,” said Richa Garg, manager with matrimonial website Shaadi.com. The fear and fall in demand stem from sporadic violence against Indians in the US and anxiety among immigrant workers over Trump’s call to “reclaim jobs” for Americans. Most NRI grooms are professionals working for multinational companies.

“NRI grooms are not in demand anymore. Donald Trump’s immigration policies have made Indian parents worried,” said Niti Jha, vice president, Sycorian Matrimonial Services based in south Delhi.

Real estate agent Pankaj Malhotra has been desperately looking for a suitable Indian girl for his doctor nephew, financially wellplaced in Austin, Texas. What his family thought would be a cakewalk has become a tricky task, the 56-year-old man said.

“This is shocking. Indian girls are not keen to settle in America anymore. They think it’s much safer to live in India,” Malhotra said.

Gaurav Chhabra, co-founder of Royal Matrimony.com, was playing matchmaker for a family looking for an NRI groom a few days ago. Not anymore. “Since January, there has been an approximately 50% decline in queries for US-based grooms and brides,” Chhabra said.