Indian Society Embraces a New Mindset: Gleeden’s New 2023 Survey Finds Change in Views on Marriage and Infidelity Post Pandemic

2023, New Delhi, India: Gleeden, the world’s leading extramarital dating app, recently achieved a significant milestone by reaching 2 million users in India. The app has been in the country since 2017 and has grown to become the go-to platform for individuals seeking discreet affairs. To commemorate this achievement, Gleeden conducted an in-depth survey to understand the changing dynamics of relationships in India.

As the first discreet dating app made by women, Gleeden has conducted a comprehensive study in partnership with IPSOS to understand the changing mindset on marriages, infidelity, and other traditional socio-cultural norms in India. The research was conducted on a sample of 1,503 Indian married individuals, both men and women, aged between 25 and 50 y.o. and living in 12 Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. The study aimed to determine three crucial aspects, including the general perception of infidelity, personal experience of infidelity, how the pandemic may have affected people’s mindset towards infidelity and new trends in relationships.

Speaking about the survey and Gleeden’s growth, Sybil Shiddell, Country Manager, India shares, “It is truly fascinating to witness the evolving mindset of Indian society when it comes to relationships and marriage. Our latest survey shows that people are increasingly challenging traditional socio-cultural norms and embracing a more open and liberal approach. Gleeden is proud to be at the forefront of this change, and we believe our continued growth in India is a testament to the fact that our platform provides a safe and secure space for people to explore their desires and find happiness on their own terms.”

Many results & findings that came out of the survey are surprising and speak volumes about the changing mindset and perception of the Indian population.

The survey revealed that 82% of the respondents feel it is possible to stay faithful to the same person for their entire life, while 44% of people felt it is possible to be in love with two different people at the same time. Interestingly, 37% of people think it is possible to cheat on a person while still being in love with them whereas 55% of respondents fancy being intimate with someone other than their partners.

It further stated that 67% of the respondents are declaring themselves to be emotionally very happy in their relationships and about 78% of them are having intercourse with their partners at least once a week. However, it was found out that despite having regular sex encounters with their partners 41% of the respondents are not fully satisfied.

Overall, 57% of the respondents have already been unfaithful to their partners: the percentage is almost the same for men (59%) and women (53%) determining once and for all that women cheat as much as men! Most of them cheated with people they already know from their circles of friends. In real life, private events and parties are the most common occasions for committing infidelity. Surprisingly, most of the infidelities are committed during the first year, despite that being known as the honeymoon phase.

Another astonishing fact that has emerged from the study is that the infidelity rate is almost the same in both big metropolises and smaller towns (58% vs 56%), that would explain why the Gleeden app has seen an increase in subscribers coming from Tier 2 cities, such as Bhopal, Gurugram, Vadodara, Navi Mumbai, Kochi, Thane, Dehradun, Patna, Nashik, and Guwahati especially.

In general, almost half of the respondents of the study (44%) have cheated with somebody they met online (social media /dating app) and the same number of respondents (44%) consider having an intimate relationship parallel to the current one the worst form of infidelity. Interestingly, Indians feel that fantasising about somebody else is also considered an act of infidelity.

Almost a quarter of Indians have changed their views towards infidelity due to the pandemic and are no longer against it. Over 50% of them stated that lockdown restrictions played a vital role in changing mindset towards infidelity. In fact, 4 people out of 10 find themselves fancying to be with someone that wasn’t their partner.

Lastly, the study revealed that Indians are more adventurous than the world thinks; according to the survey, more than 6 people out of 10 have already explored a non-traditional kind of relationship. The top 3 relationship trends Indians are keen to explore if given a chance are open couples, having a sugar baby/daddy and indulging in some form of BDSM. Interestingly, Threesomes are the least desired among the respondents. Also, it was found out that a substantial percentage of respondents (22%) have adopted the open couple concept and are now in a non-monogamous relationship.

The survey was conducted in January 2023 by Gleeden and IPSOS with the goal to provide a better understanding of what is going on within Indian society and how India perceives infidelity and extramarital behaviours. The results indicate that despite societal pressures, Indians are exploring new trends in relationships and are more open to new experiences.