“MY biggest inspiration is my aunt,” says Sharn Khaira, the creator of dating website Indian Connect.

“She came over to this country and didn’t speak a word of English, didn’t have a penny to her name.

“When she started working here she was doing night shifts in cleaning. She was really hard-working.

“She went on to buy a business and she’s done amazingly – she’s so down to earth as well.”

And Sharn has proven that she has the same business qualities.

In less than a year of Indian Connect going live it has drawn more than 30,000 users, all of them eager to sort the wheat from the chaff in the relationship market. The site was set up with the help of friend and business partner Charlotte Hancock.

Like any worthwhile business idea, it came as a result of its creator spotting a gap in the market. Sharn realised there was a need for a site bringing together people from Sikh and Hindu backgrounds with a respect for tradition.

“Back in the day, five or 10 years ago, people would introduce you to other people, but what we’re seeing now is that divorce rates have risen in our community, which means that people are not willing to introduce people anymore.”

Sharn says this reluctance stems from worries about being responsible if things go wrong. The increased divorce rate is something she puts down to a partial erosion of traditional values.

“It never used to be an issue. It was never a question. As we live in this country, we’re not living in India – we’re living in 21st Century England and we become accustomed to the culture here. There’s been a shift.”

In spite of this, many people in the communities do retain traditional values, especially when it comes to choosing a partner.

“That,” said Sharn, “is where the site comes in.”

So what is her definition of a suitable person? “I think the right sort would have to be the same religion for me, and somebody who was family-oriented. And because it’s a big thing in Indian culture, somebody who is really ambitious – but caring at the same time.”

The site is targeted exclusively at Sikh and Hindu people with a traditional respect for marriage and their culture, and is carefully monitored to ensure only people living in this country can take part.

So what is the secret to her business success? She insists there’s no mystique to it – just hard work and shrewd use of the proceeds.

Her advice to the entrepreneurs of the future? “Sometimes they might not have a great talent but hard work will outweigh that – hard work and belief in yourself, and never giving up.

“If you have the right discipline and the right skills you can feel the benefit and conquer anything.”

She bought her first property at 24 and added another a couple of years later.

Sharn was born in Swindon, and is of Northern Indian Sikh heritage. She has a younger brother.

She attended Commonweal School, where her favourite subject was English, then moved on to New College and studies in business, drama, and travel and tourism.

After that came the University of the West of England and a degree in business and European studies.

Sharn traces her interest in entrepreneurship to the influence not just of her aunt but to other family members who were in business.

“I’d always been interested in business, from a really, really young age. I just wanted to do really well. I think that’s what spurred me on in my teens. I knew I wasn’t going to be one of those people that plodded along.”

Her money-saving ethic also came early, beginning when she had part time jobs while still at school and continuing through university and into work.

And Sharn’s own future Mr Right? “For the time being I’m focusing on the site doing well – everything else can come afterwards.”

Indian Connect is at indian-connect.co.uk