India's new digital companions are here

They spend time together taking care of the penguin, sharing schedules to feed it on time, wrapping a shawl around it when the mobile notification pops that it’s cold, taking turns bathing and shopping for clothes and accessories for their virtual pet.

- Pratishtha Bagai

“I typically spend ₹400-600 a month on the application, including a ₹50 subscription fee to co-parent it with my daughter. But I feel it is worth it, because it has brought us closer and taught her to be empathetic,” Sen said.Battling loneliness and, at the same time, shying away from the responsibilities of adopting a real pet, India is turning to virtual pets.

A popular concept in countries like the US, Brazil, Singapore, and the UK, these virtual pets draw inspiration from the Japanese handheld videogame Tamagotchi, which was popular in the 90s. The pocket-sized toy popularized the concept of caring for a digital creator, inspiring applications like Talking Tom and Friends in the 2000s.