MUMBAI , India ( CNN ) -- Shweta Gupta knows exactly what kind of groom she wants : he should be educated , well settled and live in a good location -- - one that must be in India . Indian brides and grooms from the Adivasi tribe take part in a mass marriage ceremony . Love may be recession proof in India , but arranged marriages are not . One of the casualties of the global economic slowdown is the Non Resident Indian ( NRI ) groom . They were once considered premium marriage material . After all , these were the men who had typically studied hard , gotten top jobs in the West , earned big bucks and could whisk their wives away to better opportunities in the West . Not anymore . `` Yeah , I hate to say it but the NRI man seems to be out of favor with the Indian woman , '' said Gaurav Rakshit of Shaadi.com , a matrimonial search engine used by 14 million people globally . He has seen demand for NRI grooms drop by around 20 to 30 percent since the recession hit . Why ? Shweta Gupta , a 23-year-old student , has an answer . `` Many Indians working abroad have come back due to recession hitting foreign countries and I do n't think recession has affected India that much , '' said said . She believes there is greater job security in India , so would prefer her husband to be based here . Her mother , who is involved in finding a suitable man for her daughter , agreed . `` Suppose there is no job security , then again he would have to come to India , then again he would have to find a job for himself , so I would prefer both of them to be here . Plus , I want my daughter to be close to me , '' said Shraddha Gupta . Arranged marriages are still the norm in India and parents play an active role in choosing a life partner for their children . Traditionally , parents will let friends know that they are on the lookout for a partner for their child . Sometimes , they go to a marriage broker -- a middleman who keeps a stash of resumes and photos of eligible men and women whose families have registered with them . As Indians get more tech savvy , more people are taking their search for partners online . Matrimonial Web sites are popular since they offer a much bigger pool of potential life partners . Shweta Gupta is currently pursuing an MBA in Mumbai and is confident of getting good job offers in India -- - another reason she would not want to risk that by going abroad . `` As the woman finds her voice in Indian society , a part of the trend is defined by her unwillingness to compromise on where she grew up , the kind of person she wants to be with , the value system she wants to associate with , '' Rakshit said . Women in India are comfortable with the opportunities they have at home and do n't feel they need to go abroad to have a better life . As a result , NRI men are out . So , who is in ? Well , government employees , who are typically thought to hold more stable jobs . Shaadi.com said demand was up around 45 percent since last year for men with these jobs . Also in favor now : working wives -- - a departure from the tradition of Indian men choosing only homemakers . Anish Sapra , 27 , has been looking for a bride for around ten months -- - and he wants a working woman . `` It will be a help -- more than a help -- to have a working partner , '' he said . `` Not just for financial reasons , '' he added noting that he believes he would have more in common with such a wife . A wife with a job could help pay off some of the wedding bills , too . Indian marriages are typically large and flamboyant affairs , though the slowdown means they are somewhat subdued these days . That is one tradition Shweta Gupta wo n't give up . She is holding out for a grand wedding with lots of singing and dancing -- she just has to find Mr . Right . `` My marriage should be fun , it should be remembered by all people , '' she said .
Arranged marriages are still the norm in India . Typically families sought Indians working overseas as good marriage material . Comment: Women in India are more comfortable today with the opportunities they have at home .