The ALTER blog Love, marriage and everything between.
Plain answers to the questions people ask about relationships in India, from situationships and weddings to affairs, divorce and talaq. Every number comes with its source.
- Affairs6 min read
How common are extramarital affairs in India?
More common than most people say out loud. In a 2023 Ipsos survey for the dating app Gleeden, 57% of 1,503 people in 12 Indian cities said they had been unfaithful to their spouse at least once. The surveys are paid for by apps and cover urban India only, but every source points the same way. And since 2018, an affair is not a crime in India.Read the answer - Dating5 min read
What is a situationship?
A situationship is a romantic connection that is more than a friendship but has never been defined as a relationship: no label, no agreed future, and often no promise of exclusivity. It is common among young daters. In a 2025 QuackQuack survey, 57% of Indians aged 18 to 30 said they had had a connection that didn't fit the usual “relationship” label.Read the answer - Marriage4 min read
Marriage in India by the numbers
Most Indian marriages are still arranged: in the India Human Development Survey, only about 5% of women said they chose their husband without their family's input. India holds an estimated 8 to 10 million weddings a year, spending close to ₹10 lakh crore, about ₹12 lakh per wedding. Divorce remains rare: the 2011 Census counted about 13.6 lakh divorced Indians.Read the answer - Divorce6 min read
How do divorce and talaq work in India?
It depends on the personal law that governs your marriage. Under the Hindu Marriage Act, a couple who have lived apart for a year can divorce by mutual consent, with a six-month wait that courts can waive. For Muslims, instant triple talaq has been void and punishable with up to three years in jail since 2019, while other forms of talaq, khula and mubarat remain valid.Read the answer - Dating5 min read
How do you get over a breakup?
Slowly, and mostly by rebuilding a sense of who you are on your own. In one study of recently separated young adults, those who reflected on their breakup regularly over nine weeks recovered better, because it helped them see themselves apart from the relationship. In practice: limit contact, lean on friends, keep a routine and give it time.Read the answer - Marriage4 min read
What happens between engagement and wedding in India?
Usually two steps. A roka, a small family ceremony, marks that both families have agreed to the match; a sagai or ring ceremony makes the engagement public, sometimes days and sometimes months before the wedding. Customs vary by community. Then comes the spending: couples on WeddingWire India spent an average of ₹28 lakh on their wedding in 2023.Read the answer - Relationships4 min read
What is an open relationship, and how common is it in India?
An open relationship is one where both partners agree that either of them can see other people. Polyamory goes further, allowing more than one loving relationship at once. The agreement is what separates both from an affair. In a 2025 Ipsos survey for Gleeden, 41% of urban Indians said they'd be open to one if their partner suggested it.Read the answer - Affairs4 min read
What is an emotional affair?
An emotional affair is a close, secret bond with someone outside your relationship: sharing what you no longer share with your partner, hiding conversations and turning to that person for comfort, even if nothing physical happens. Many people find it as painful as a physical affair. In a 2025 Ipsos survey for Gleeden, 71% of urban Indians said hiding or deleting chats is a breach of trust.Read the answer - Dating3 min read
What do today's dating slang words mean?
Most of them describe one of two things: how people show interest, or how they avoid commitment. Floodlighting, India's top dating search on Google in 2025, means pouring out very personal stories early on. Throning, 2024's top dating search, means dating someone for status. Here are the terms you'll see most, with plain meanings.Read the answer - Relationships4 min read
Are live-in relationships legal in India?
Yes. Two adults who live together without marrying aren't breaking any law; in 2013 the Supreme Court called a live-in relationship “neither a crime nor a sin”. Long-term partners can have some protection under the Domestic Violence Act, and courts have treated children of such relationships as legitimate. Uttarakhand requires couples to register.Read the answer - Marriage4 min read
What are the signs of a loveless marriage?
A loveless marriage is less about fighting than about absence: little affection, conversations limited to logistics, and two people living parallel lives. It's common. In a 2025 Ipsos survey for Gleeden, 51% of urban Indians said they felt emotionally disconnected from their partner, even though 94% called their relationship happy.Read the answer - Dating3 min read
When should you define the relationship?
When you know what you want and you've been seeing each other long enough that not knowing bothers you. Many people get there within three months: in a 2025 QuackQuack survey, about 34% of daters aged 27 to 35 said they usually commit or part ways by the end of the third month. Ask directly, in person, and be ready for any answer.Read the answer - Marriage4 min read
Do arranged marriages last longer than love marriages?
Nobody can say for sure. India publishes no divorce data split by type of marriage, and divorce is rare in both, partly because of family and social pressure to stay together. Research comparing the two finds more similarity than difference: a 2012 study of Indian couples in the US found no difference in love, satisfaction or commitment between arranged and love marriages.Read the answer - Relationships3 min read
Do long-distance relationships work?
Often, yes, especially with a plan to close the distance. In a 2013 study, couples living apart reported feeling more intimate than couples living close by, because they shared more and saw each other in a more positive light. In India distance is common, and marriage itself is the biggest reason people move.Read the answer
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