Study Unveils Marriage And Commitment Beliefs In Small Cities Of India

Marriages have always been put on a pedestal in most parts of the world and especially so in India.

When we talk about marriages, loyalty and commitment go hand in hand but does it always stay that way? Being together with one person for a long period may bring in a sense of familiarity, but on the flip side, may also potentially lead to boredom. What happens next? People often feel a burning desire to build a new connection and in no time monogamy is broken and infidelity is formed. According to an internal survey conducted in January 2022 by Gleeden – an extramarital dating app, 55% of Gleeden users find, ‘monogamy, a social obligation,’ while the remaining 45% who still believe in it, however, affirm that monogamy is possible only under certain circumstances.c

So, is love not real?

“I am in love!” – the magical three words are probably something everyone wants to experience. However, ironically, this one statement is often also the deciding factor that can both make or break any relationship. While two people do come together for love, staying together is always uncertain. We all meet new people during our life and attraction is bound to occur especially when one or both partners are not completely satisfied in their committed relationship.

According to the app’s report, 63% of people believe that the core cause of infidelity in a relationship is linked to boredom while 8% say it is because of falling in love with a third person. For almost 10%, this infidelity is born out of internal conflicts while for the rest this could be an underlying commitment issue.

Accepting Infidelity

For a lot of people, being involved with multiple partners has little or nothing to do with their long-term relationships and sometimes is even mutually agreed upon. At least 20% of people have stated that both partners agree to give some slack to the other in terms of sexual exclusivity. If you’ve been thinking this could be initiated more by men, then that is absolutely untrue. Women too are keen to explore their desires which is reflected in the popularity of apps.

The statistics for India show that infidelity infact is quite common in both urban and small cities in India and the study conducted by IPSOS in January 2020 elaborates that 55% of Indians had already been unfaithful to their current partner at least once at the time of the interview out of which 54% were men and 56% were women.

“Relationships are bound to change with time. As we grow, our thought processes and priorities evolve. Moreover, today, the world around us has also become extremely competitive too and couples may not always have time for each other. In moments like these, it is common for humans to look for comfort and love from a new person and one that makes them feel happy about themselves. Although the cause of infidelity could be multiple, it may in some cases, also be consensual,” shares Sybil Shiddel, Country Manager India, Gleeden

Opening up the geographical boundaries

Although app users initially started to grow in urban areas, the pandemic has introduced this app to many small cities highlighting the true beliefs about long-term relationships in India. The app’s recent survey witnessed a surge in users coming from tier 1 and tier 2 cities of India during and post the pandemic.

Shiddel adds, “During the pandemic, people were confined in their houses and that has played a huge part in the rise of new users. With restrictions still in place and little or no possibility to travel, our users no longer needed the discretion provided by big cities. On the contrary, without the possibility of meeting the person, the fear of being caught outside also vanished which is why more people from smaller and provincial towns of India chose to subscribe to the app.”

App survey shares that in March 2020, most users came from Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Chennai. However, during the latter part of 2020, 2021 and the first part of 2022, the most traction came from Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Kochi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Noida, Nagpur and Indore. Additionally, suburban areas like Navi Mumbai, Burdwan, Howrah and Thane have also seen an increase in the number of app users.