India, Dec. 27 -- It's been a year of paradoxes, when it comes to the world of dating (and so much else, really; but let's stick with dating for now).

In 2025, the search for love has taken new forms, driven by both technological advancements and the desire to avoid them.

On the one hand, there has been a shift towards simplicity, and an effort to replace the swipe-ghost-repeat cycle of dating apps with genuine, real-world connection. (This has forced the apps to rethink their strategy and redefine what digital dating should look like, particularly in India, with a growing number offering almost-platonic offline events that relieve some of the pressure by positioning themselves as networking opportunities or friendship zones too).

At t...