Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com and judge on Shark Tank India, posted a video about his company’s new ‘DowrAI’ tool on May 29th. DowrAI is described as India’s first dowry calculator to determine a person’s worth in today’s marriage market.
In the video, Mittal explains that calculating dowry used to be straightforward, but now many factors like income, investments, mobile brands, and honeymoon destinations are considered. The website allows users to enter details like age, job, salary, education, residence, and country to calculate their “dowry worth.”
However, after clicking ‘Calculate Now,’ users are shown crucial data on dowry deaths in India over the past decade. A message then appears: “Before calculating your worth, ask yourself what is her life worth? Let’s do away with Dowry. Be a part of the change now.”
Initial Criticism Turns to Praise
When Mittal first posted the video, some Instagram users criticized him, thinking he was promoting the illegal practice of dowry. But after understanding the anti-dowry message, many praised his innovative awareness campaign.
The video has over 22,000 likes, with comments like “Very catchy marketing to bring about change,” “Amazing initiative,” and “I salute you man! …You have blessings of many families from India.”
With simple language explaining the dowry calculator’s true purpose, Mittal has sparked an important conversation around ending this harmful tradition.