India, Aug. 22 -- When Tinder debuted in India in 2013, we all had butterflies. Romance without the awkward parts? Yes, please. No more sweaty-palmed rejections or mustering up the courage to ask out a stranger. The app pulled potential matches from Facebook - friends of friends, people who liked the same music or movies. The circle felt close-knit, the vibes legit. Then came Bumble, Hinge, the homegrown QuackQuack and more. Suddenly, there were plenty of fish in the sea. Swipe left, swipe right, repeat. Easy. Like it was meant-to-be.

Twelve years on, online dating is more hellscape than honeymoon. Until 2018, only 20 million Indians used dating apps. By 2023, sign-ups had jumped to 82.4 million. Most users have given up on Tinder becaus...