Mumbai: Finding a match may have become easier, but meaningful conversations remain a challenge for urban Indian daters, according to a new study commissioned by The League.
The premium dating platform commissioned YouGov to survey more than 500 single dating app users across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. The study found that while Indian daters are increasingly intentional about relationships, 69 per cent said their conversations rarely move beyond small talk.
The findings also point to a gap between dating intentions and experiences. Around 76 per cent of respondents identified as high-intent daters, while 90 per cent said they were emotionally ready for a relationship. More than half, or 57 per cent, said they were actively looking for a long-term relationship.
Dating fatigue is also emerging as a concern. Among respondents experiencing dating burnout, 74 per cent said they felt like a number rather than a person. At the same time, 78 per cent said they would pay for a dating platform built around intention.
The study found a preference for more curated offline experiences as well. About 90 per cent of respondents said they were willing to attend curated opportunities to meet people offline, while 82 per cent said they take a match more seriously after meeting in such a setting.
In response, The League is extending its “You Don’t Want to Date Me (…Unless You Do)” campaign beyond matchmaking with a guided conversation game created in collaboration with self-discovery architect Akshat Rajan.
The experience, designed around more than 90 prompts, aims to help users move beyond introductory conversations and explore their experiences, values, beliefs and aspirations. It is structured across five stages: Arrival, Spark, Share, Closure and Stay.
The first stage, Arrival, encourages participants to pause and be present before the conversation begins. Spark uses prompts to help participants explore how they think and what they believe, while Share focuses on personal experiences and formative moments.
Closure encourages participants to reflect on the conversation, while Stay introduces simple rituals intended to help carry the connection beyond the date.
The initiative comes as dating platforms increasingly look beyond the traditional match-and-message model towards experiences designed to facilitate deeper engagement between users.
The League said the game will be available to users across India through its app for digital access.
