The journey began when Nishu Babrewal, a product innovator with experience using multiple dating and matrimony apps who recognized the limitations of existing matchmaking platforms driven by family-managed profiles, endless swiping, and ghost users. Nishu teamed up with Aryavrat Goenka, an entrepreneur with a dual major in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from Babson College, also recognized the need for a matchmaking platform tailored to South Asians living abroad.

As millennials of South Asian origin, they had personally navigated the challenges of balancing traditional values with contemporary lifestyles. Together, they conducted extensive market research through conversations with hundreds of matchmaking app users, highlighting a critical gap: traditional matchmaking felt outdated while dating apps lacked cultural depth.

Driven by a shared passion, Nishu and Aryavrat, created a platform where global South Asians like themselves could meet in authentic, culturally rooted contexts. Being South Asians within the same age group as their users helped them seamlessly align the platform with user expectations. Their early prototypes offered valuable insights, prompting them to refocus on the Indian diaspora in NYC — a pivotal decision that shaped UrbanMatch’s unique approach.

UrbanMatch reaching out to Sima Taparia, the globally recognized matchmaker known for her Netflix series ‘Indian Matchmaking,’ was a major turning point for the company. Her nuanced understanding of South Asian relationships and her extensive community network brought unparalleled authenticity and credibility to the platform. With Sima Taparia coming on board as Brand Ambassador, UrbanMatch experienced significant organic growth and traction.

To build a scalable, world-class tech platform, UrbanMatch welcomed Abhishek Singh, a former Facebook engineer and founding developer of Instagram Reels, as CTO. His expertise in building cutting-edge products and his personal understanding of the challenges faced by Indians abroad made him an ideal addition to the team. Abhishek now spearheads tech development at UrbanMatch.

Today, UrbanMatch is more than a matchmaking platform — it’s a thriving global community connecting South Asians across continents. Our mission is to bring the South Asian matchmaking tradition into the 21st century and help the South Asian diaspora create lasting relationships rooted in shared values, cultural understanding, and modern compatibility.