Indian wedding Web site has 'no dowry' clause

"When we started, we had expected the number of women and poor people to be more. But it's educated people like doctors and IT professionals who are a majority," said Naresh, who lives in Hyderabad.

Members, however, still pay close attention to factors such as social caste and religion while choosing potential mates. But the Web site's founder says these are minor hurdles.

"The dowry system is the major challenge. Women kill their daughter-in-laws for not bringing enough dowry, not for some other reason," said Naresh.

"I just want to focus on this issue for now," he said.

Police say the most common form of domestic violence in India is dowry-related and that one case of cruelty is committed by the husband or his relatives every nine minutes.

Taking inspiration from 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, whose Grameen Bank in Bangladesh lifted millions out of poverty, Naresh said he wants to take the grassroots approach in his war against dowry.