It is Valentine's week and love is in the air. But for some, it is a desire that they wish could be fulfilled this year. According to the latest nationwide survey by dating and partner-finding app Bumble, one in three single Indian wants to see themselves in a committed relationship in 2021. The survey was conducted between December 2 and December 10 last year and helped Bumble find out some other interesting bits about the dating picture in India. A vast majority of single Indians are even ready to meet their possible date in a different city, despite the pandemic-related fears.
The survey said that single Indians are not looking for just flings and a good fraction of users engaged in online dating hopes to find a stable partner this year. The data paints a positive picture for the adults who are allowed on Bumble and other dating apps. This is especially an indication that even though young urban Indians are entangled in a variety of options available on the internet, dating apps, and the information overload from other sources, they have an inclination towards forming committed relationships. Although, that is largely true for people who have settled financially, according to a relationship expert.
And these desires are not just limited to committed relationships, one in five single Indians (around 22 per cent) hopes to get married in 2021, the survey data revealed. However, the survey does not indicate how old these single people are, which otherwise had been helpful in determining the tendency of today's youth about marriage and how early they want to get into a marriage.
Bumble's survey further said that 73 per cent of single Indians have shown they are ready to travel a couple of hours within the same city to meet the person they met online, while 19 per cent are willing to go to a different city in the hope to find a partner in the person they met online. The single Indians in the city of Pune show the highest tendency of 37 per cent to go out and meet someone in-person, followed by singles in Kolkata (with 33 per cent) and Chennai (32 per cent). And meeting a complete stranger during these times when the pandemic is still not over is not an easy thought.
But these singles want to ensure all safety protocols are followed while in-person meets can happen before the world goes back to being normal. About 64 per cent single Indians have said they would want to know the health status of the person before they are meeting them. This may include checking their Aarogya Setu information or even a COVID-19 test report. Anyway, this is a sensible thing to be followed because these are rough times and uncertainty is at its peak.
Samarpita Samaddar, Bumble India PR director, said, "As we enter a new year, there is a sense of optimism and hope amongst single Indians as they get more intentional about finding love in 2021. We're seeing that our community is becoming more and more excited about the prospect of dating in real life again. Women in particular are making more empowered dating choices centred on them and their needs. This Valentine's Day we are excited to see how our Bumble community celebrates, either virtually or IRL."