Advertisement
India
AsiaSouth Asia

India’s booming wedding industry could grow further if court hands gay marriage ruling

  • A ruling to allow same-sex couples to marry would be a huge boost to India’s US$12 billion LGBTQ wedding industry
  • If India legalises gay marriage in the coming months, it will become only the third place in Asia to do so, after Taiwan and Nepal

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
If India legalises gay marriage in the coming months, it will become only the third place in Asia to do so, after Taiwan and Nepal. Photo: EPA-EFE
Thomson Reuters Foundation
When India’s Supreme Court started hearing a case to legalise same-sex marriage earlier this year, matchmaker Kamakshi Madan suddenly received an increase in inquiries from parents seeking spouses for their LGBTQ children.
Advertisement
“I had mothers calling me looking for husbands for their sons,” Madan, a specialist matchmaker for the LGBTQ community, said by phone from the western Indian city of Pune.
A ruling to allow same-sex couples to marry would be a huge boost to the LGBTQ wedding industry in the country of some 1.4 billion people, where families often spend the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars on lavish ceremonies that can last for several days.
Speaking openly about homosexuality is taboo for many Indians but attitudes are shifting: 53 per cent of Indian adults say same-sex marriage should be legal, found a June report by the Pew Research Center, a US polling and research organisation. Photo: EPA-EFE
Speaking openly about homosexuality is taboo for many Indians but attitudes are shifting: 53 per cent of Indian adults say same-sex marriage should be legal, found a June report by the Pew Research Center, a US polling and research organisation. Photo: EPA-EFE
Indians spend a fifth of the total wealth accumulated in their lifetime on their weddings, according to loan provider Reliance Money, in a trillion-rupee (US$12 billion) industry.
Some same-sex couples have been tying the knot unofficially since India decriminalised homosexuality in 2018, exchanging vows before families and friends in unrecognised ceremonies.
If India legalises gay marriage in the coming months, it will become only the third place in Asia to do so, after Taiwan and Nepal.
Advertisement

The government has said it opposes recognising same-sex marriage and urged the Supreme Court to reject challenges to the current legal framework lodged by LGBTQ couples. A ruling is expected this year, though the court has not announced a date.

Advertisement