4 million Indians on this extramarital courting app, and Bengaluru leads the best way

We could prefer to name ourselves a ‘conservative’ nation that promotes the philosophy of a household – hum do hamare do – however a modern survey by Gleeden, an extramarital courting app, reveals in any other case. We could maintain marriage as a sacred establishment, however the best way individuals navigate relationships is quietly, but steadily, shifting.

A rising variety of Indians are turning to discreet digital platforms to hunt companionship, validation, or just one thing lacking of their present relationships. And this isn’t simply rumour. Numbers are starting to replicate that change.

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Gleeden has crossed 4 million subscribers in India, and that would imply lots of issues.

A quiet shift in how India loves

The rise of such apps just isn’t in isolation, and it is usually a sneak peek into what is occurring within the background—altering attitudes in direction of marriage, constancy, and private fulfilment.

In 2024, Gleeden carried out a research involving 1,503 married Indians throughout Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, aged between 25 and 50, to know how individuals understand marriage and infidelity right now. The findings pointed to a rising willingness to query conventional relationship buildings, at the same time as societal expectations stay largely unchanged.

The analysis revealed that over 60 per cent of respondents had been embracing non-traditional courting strategies, similar to swinging (a sexual exercise wherein each singles and companions in a dedicated relationship interact with others for leisure functions), and the outcomes point out a rising openness to various relationship practices (open relating and relationship anarchy).

And it’s not only one platform indicating this shift.

Ashley Madison, one other international app identified for facilitating extramarital connections, revealed final yr that Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, a city extra generally related to temples and silk sarees, has emerged as one of many nation’s hotspots for affairs, in keeping with its June 2025 information.

Together, these information factors recommend that what was as soon as thought of taboo is more and more shifting into the realm of quiet normalisation.

Snigdha Ghose (title modified) is a advertising analyst working in Mumbai. When requested about evolving relationships in India and infidelity, she says, “It is not uncommon to see this play out in the open. In most cases, people involved in such setups are well aware (like the wife knows about the affair but chooses to keep quiet), and now, the open marriage concept is well on the rise.”

Aniruddha (title modified), a Chief Product Officer, has been married for nicely over 12 years. He admits to having enrolled on extramarital courting apps. His spouse will not be conscious of it, however he says he makes use of it simply “for the thrill of it and excitement.”

User behaviour on the app

Gleeden’s newest information affords a more in-depth have a look at who these customers are and the way they behave:

• 65% of customers are males, 35% girls
• A majority are married or in long-term relationships
• Women’s participation has grown sharply, up by 148% within the final two years

On common, Indian customers spend 1 to 1.5 hours a day chatting on the platform. The timing of those interactions is telling. Peak exercise is recorded between 12 pm to three pm, after which once more between 10 pm and midnight, home windows that always coincide with breaks from routine or moments of solitude.

Preference patterns additionally replicate standard expectations in a contemporary setting:

• Men have a tendency to hunt girls aged 25–30
• Women want males aged 30–40, typically financially secure professionals similar to medical doctors, senior executives, and chartered accountants

Beyond metros: the unfold of discreet courting

As already talked about, whereas metro cities proceed to dominate, the development just isn’t confined to city hubs.

Bengaluru leads with 18% of customers, adopted by Hyderabad (17%), Delhi (11%), Mumbai (9%), and Pune (7%).

But maybe extra vital is the rise in customers from smaller cities, together with Lucknow, Chandigarh, Surat, Coimbatore, Patna, and Guwahati.

Women and the query of company

One of essentially the most notable points of the information is the sharp rise in feminine customers.

The app attributes this to rising confidence and independence amongst girls with regards to making private selections. The platform additionally permits girls to make use of it free of charge, which it says contributes to making a extra balanced and “safer” ecosystem.

But the numbers increase a bigger query:

Is this development a marker of empowerment, or a mirrored image of unmet emotional wants inside present relationships?

Sybil Shiddell, Country Manager of Gleeden India, described it as proof of a “quiet revolution” in how individuals method fashionable relationships.

“Many people consider marriage to be one of the most sacred institutions in this country, but are using outlets like this to search for a means of emotional expression and self-affirmation,” she mentioned.

While we could preserve debating what’s proper or mistaken, the fact, as you learn this, is within the numbers.

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