Commitment Is Cool Again, Casual Dating Is Out For Urban Indian Singles, According To A Pan-India Survey Of Dating Trends
Aisle’s latest survey finds that millennials are leaning toward stability and marriage, with nearly half believing hookup culture has robbed dating of its meaning.
Published : November 12, 2025 at 3:28 PM IST
If you were waiting for the next big dating trend to be something wild: like speed dates inside metaverse pods or AI-generated boyfriends who text you back, bad news. The next big thing is: Commitment. According to dating platform Aisle’s latest report, “The Commitment Decade,” India’s singles are collectively tired of casual flings, emotional gymnastics, and partners who treat texting back like it’s an optional PhD elective.
The report, which surveyed over 3,400 urban singles across Tier 1 metros and Tier 2 and 3 cities in India, reads like the collective sigh of a generation that’s been ghosted one too many times. It turns out 97% of women across generations now prefer commitment over casual dating. That’s basically everyone except that one friend still saying, “I’m just focusing on my career right now,” while secretly re-downloading a dating app for the fifth time.
Once upon a swipe, “commitment” was what people claimed to be “not looking for right now.” But today, it’s the new hot accessory. Nine in 10 millennial women now say they prefer meaningful relationships over flings, and one in three are planning to marry within a year of dating. Men, meanwhile, are catching up, with commitment rates climbing steadily with age: from 80% guys in their 20s to nearly 88% among older daters. In other words, the more grey hair they get, the more they realize love can’t just be about who has the best playlist. And if you think this is just a Delhi thing, think again. From Bengaluru to Mumbai, the study shows that this shift transcends India’s north-south divide. It’s a pan-Indian mood: less hookup, more home-cooked biryani together on Sundays.
Equal Shares
53% of women now prefer splitting the bill, while 42% of men still think they should pay. What used to be a casual act of courtesy has now become a full-blown social experiment. “Do we go Dutch?” has replaced “Do you like dogs?” as the first-date tension point. The report reveals that equality, not extravagance, defines modern romance.
Astrology still has its place in the dating scene... mostly as entertainment. Seven in 10 Indians now prioritize compatibility over zodiac charts, though 30% of millennial women still say astrology influences their choices. So yes, Mercury may be in retrograde, but your relationship doesn’t have to be. Astrology is now the “fun filter,” the mood lighting of dating apps: useful for banter, not for building lifelong commitment.
Mental Health Is The New Love Language
Mental health has entered the dating chat. 67% of Gen Z women say they’d end a relationship over mental health issues. If you can’t regulate your emotions, they’re out. Over half of all respondents now believe therapy talk belongs in dating conversations. That means “What’s your sun sign?” is being replaced by “How’s your attachment style?”
One in three Indians have already ended relationships due to mental health concerns, proving that emotional intelligence is now as attractive as six-pack abs or more, since abs don’t help anyone process trauma. Emotional maturity has officially become the new currency of love.
AI Dating
Now, about technology. The same people who once believed “love is unpredictable” now also believe “AI could totally help, as long as there’s a real person double-checking.” Roughly half of millennials are fine with AI-assisted matchmaking, but only if it’s verified by humans (because no one wants to end up in a situationship with a chatbot that says “I love you” in binary).
45% percent of men are open to AI matchmaking, too, which is sweet, but the other 55% probably just don’t want to admit they already ask ChatGPT for dating advice. Gen Z women, meanwhile, are not having it... nearly 69% reject AI-only matchmaking, proving once again that this generation knows a red flag when they see one.
From Flings To Foundations
This is where it gets interesting. Millennials are leaning toward stability and marriage, with nearly half believing hookup culture has robbed dating of its meaning. 44% of them view therapy as a green flag, and three in four say they’d marry outside their religion. Both generations are united by a craving for authenticity, balance, and the elusive art of emotional availability.
The biggest red flags, according to the survey? Inconsistent behaviour, lack of effort, and emotional unavailability. Basically, everything you’d find in a typical situationship. If love in the 2010s was all about chemistry, love in the 2020s is about consistency.
The modern Indian dater has changed. They’ve been through enough ghosting, breadcrumbing, and emotionally unavailable situations to last a lifetime. What they want now is simple: someone who shows up, listens, splits the bill, and knows their way around feelings.
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