India, Feb. 13 -- Caste as a non-negotiable criterion in marriage is steadily losing ground, while Indians are marrying later and showing greater openness to remarriage, according to a new survey by matrimony platform Jeevansathi. The report titled The Big Shift: How India Is Rewriting the Rules of Partner Search and Marriage draws on platform data from 2016 and 2025 along with survey insights from over 30,000 active users in 2026.

"Over the last decade, the median age of (Jeevansathi) users initiating their partner search moved from 27 to 29 years, with 50 per cent of users now beginning the process at 29. The shift indicates that financial stability, career growth and personal readiness are taking precedence over early marriage timelin...