Young Edge | Swipe right for friendship: how Pune youngsters are using dating apps for platonic companionship

Riddhi Sharma, a student at Maharashtra Institute of Technology World Peace University, put it plainly. “It’s low pressure to make friends online, more casual, you can choose to meet them if you like them. I like having that choice,” she said. That sense of control—the ability to opt in or out at any stage—is a recurring theme among users who find traditional social settings too rigid or rushed.

For those new to a city, the platform can occasionally deliver on its promise in the most tangible way. Vani, a first-year student who recently moved to Pune, said the feature helped her settle in. “It’s a fun way to get to know people since I am new here,” she said. “I met a girl on the platform who was a local, and she and her friend showed me around town for a few weeks after I moved. It was a great experience, we still keep in touch,” she said. But such outcomes, as it turns out, are more the exception than the rule.

Sarthak Joshi, a 21-year-old law student in the city, has been on the platform for three months and has yet to meet anyone in person. But this hasn’t dulled his enthusiasm for the concept. “Because this app matches people based on interests, it’s a good way to make like-minded friends. I love travelling, and if I can find people to plan a trip together on here, mission accomplished,” he said.

It is a mission that, for now, remains a work in progress, and interest-based matchmaking is another draw.

A paradox at the heart of the trend

The experience of Ekta Bhattacharjee, a 19-year-old psychology student, perhaps best captures the paradox at the heart of this trend. In just one month on the platform, she has spoken to nearly 30 people, yet she hasn’t met a single one of them offline.

“Talking online is more comforting for me. Friend groups in schools and colleges come with a lot of strings attached, and here it’s easier; people don’t have many expectations,” she said. She also acknowledged that online connections may not carry the same weight or seriousness as those formed face-to-face.

Piyush, a Pune resident studying management at Christ College, Lavasa, found himself turning to the app despite having lived in the city his entire life. “I have been in this city my whole life, but I wanted to meet new people. The only other way is college, but I didn’t quite like my options, so I got on here to meet fun people,” he said.

The platform is lowering the barrier to conversation, but the leap from screen to real life remains difficult.

Tanushka Rathore is an intern with The Indian Express, Pune.