1)How popular are arranged marriages?
It depends on whatever you are talking about rural India or urban India. In rural places its p much as you know it: family arranges marriage for you, and you can't say no. It's more like forced marriage disguised as arranged.
In urban areas however you chose your spouse, and your and their parents arrange the marriage for you if both of them agree. Forced marriages are very rare in urban places.
2)Can't you use them somehow?
As I said, you actually get to chose your spouse if you are in an urban area, and most curries here are either urban or live in the west. And obviously noone choses us.
Getting a foid from a village isn't an option because what's the point of marriage when you won't be loved? Sex without mutual attraction is very draining (ask any incel who visited escorts).
And on top of that you will have to spend more than 80% of your earnings on someone who won't love you anyways, and on a bunch of losers who will also be incels (your children literally have your genes)