Love blooms for swadeshi dating apps

Heartbreak for global peers as costs & ‘Indian culture’ seen as stumbling blocks

- S SHANTHI

THIS IS A love affair with a swadeshi twist. At a time when international dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge are scaling down in India, homegrown platforms seem to be cashing in on love at first swipe.

According to Tracxn, there are 174 active Indian dating apps today, with players such as TrulyMadly, Fluttr, Elevn and Aisle leading the pack. Investors include We Founder Circle, Venture Catalysts and Inflection Point Ventures.

Quite a few of these desi online dating services are offering niche online dating services and catering to the vernacular-speaking Indians.

Venture capitalists tracking the sector told FE that the opportunity is significant. The youth, particularly in small towns, want autonomy in finding partners but do not necessarily identify with the hookup culture of Western apps. “In India, where marriage is the primary goal and family considerations matter significantly, the value propositions offered by global apps miss the mark,’ Arjun Malhotra, general partner at Good Capital, said. The VC firm is evaluating investments in the space.

In contrast, foreign players have cut staff and marketing spends owing to poor monetisation, low willingness to pay by users, cultural stigma around dating and skewed gender ratios. The poor performance in their home countries have also played a critical role.