If You Are Feeling Lonely On Valentine’s Day…

Sandeep Das
Feb 13, 2026 | 20:01 IST

Promising experiments in the future of love are underway. Try festival dating. Or an AI companion, even if you are already in a relationship. And being your own Valentine is great too

Today is Valentine’s Day, so every interaction, online and offline, seems to be about romance and love. As much as this is emotion, this is also big business. The Indian dating apps market is expected to reach $1.4bn by 2030, growing at 11% over the next few years, MarkNtel Advisors estimate. This is one of the fastest growing global markets, with over 100mn users registered across various platforms. Valentine’s Day gifting is also a big market, growing at 20% every year, and estimated at ₹25,000cr for the entire week.

But does this booming business mean that everything is hunky-dory when it comes to love? NO. Modern dating offers unprecedented choice, but often at the cost of emotional depth.
Copyright © 2024 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service.