Coronavirus: Online dating has seen a surge in activity in India since the lockdown

Apr 17, 2020

This article is published in collaboration with Quartz.

Khushbu Hitesh Mehta, 22, an architecture student, works on her project as her father Hitesh Mehta, 47, a businessman, speaks on his mobile phone inside his three-room apartment in a high-rise building during a 21-day nationwide lockdown to slow the spreading of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Mumbai, India March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Hemanshi Kamani - RC20VF968OXN

How can you find love in lockdown? Image: REUTERS/Hemanshi Kamani

Lockdown measures in India, enforced to curtail the spread of COVID-19, have proved to be no barrier to dating among India's population, as thousands go online to dating sites and apps.
Since the country went into lockdown in March, there's been a 26% increase on conversations of the platform OkCupid.
Lockdown has changed the dating seen around the world, with more and more young people open to going on an 'online date'.

Amid a stringent lockdown, India has taken to online dating like fish to water.

Over 90% of the Indians on online dating platform OkCupid said they would continue dating virtually during the Covid-19 quarantine. Indeed, there has been a 26% spike in conversations on the platform and 12% in matches in the country since March, the second-highest bump globally on both fronts.

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Increase in matches and conversations on OkCupid since March 2020. Image: Quartz

Indian millennials already had ideas for how they could convert a regular date into a digital one. Over 40%, of an average 16,000 respondents per question across India, said they were open to coming together online for meals and drinks.

Activities Indian millennials would choose for an online date. Image: Quartz

Most Indian users of OkCupid also preferred text messaging over video calling, in line with global trends. “There have been over 50 million intro messages sent across the world on OkCupid over the past month among daters connecting for the first time,” said Ariel Charytan, CEO of OkCupid.

Popular formats of virtual dating for Indian millennials. Image: Quartz

The dating platform attributes this affinity for text message conversations to a return of “slow dating.” Up to 85% of OkCupid’s global users have said it is important to develop an emotional connection with a partner before a physical one. The virtual dating system, respondents say, aids this.

It also correlates with a 20% decrease in OkCupid’s global user base looking for hookups online, and a 5% increase in the number of those looking for serious relationships.

Some Indian users have found other silver linings, including being able to wear pyjamas to a date.

The benefits of dating virtually for Indians. Image: Quartz

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