LONELY IN THE CITY

Startups offering friendships, travel buddies, and companionship look to address loneliness, which WHO calls a public health concern

- ANUSHKA BHARDWAJ

Ona Saturday evening, a group of strangers gathered at the Cha Bar café in Connaught Place, New Delhi.

Among them were government employees, students, and corporate professionals. The oldest was close to 40, the youngest not yet 20. It was an unusual mix, but they shared one thing in common: They were all lonely in the city.

This meetup served as a coping mechanism, allowing them to socialise for a few hours, bonding over books and other interests. None of them had family in Delhi.

With a population of more than 1.4 billion people, India might be the world's most crowded country, but, paradoxically, it is also becoming a lonelier society-mirroring trends seen worldwide.

Though humans have for centuries struggled with loneliness, it is only in recent times that the scale of it has become alarming.

So much so that the World Health Organisation has classified it as a global public health concern. It is tough to quantify loneliness, but some studies have attempted to do so.

The Global State of Social Connections Report 2023 by Meta and American analytics firm Gallup, for instance, has ranked India 36th among 142 countries in terms of self-reported loneliness. According to the report, 30 per cent of Indians feel very lonely or fairly lonely, while 28 per cent feel a little lonely.

Studies also show that loneliness transcends age, affecting everyone from the teenagers to the elderly.

The growing acknowledgment of the issue has given rise to a multi-layered industry.

Ishan Gupta, cofounder of emotional wellness app Clarity, estimates it to be a multi-billion-dollar market that spans startups, apps, and gadgets and gizmos.

Startups that focus on connecting people -whether through friendships or travel buddies are gaining popularity, particularly among the youth. "For travel partners, it is crucial to find a good match in terms of time, preferences, and personal chemistry.