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Romance, like fashion, adapts to its surroundings. While metros have long been in the limelight as the torchbearers of online dating, Tier 2 and 3 cities are not far behind- maintaining a seamless balance between modern and traditional, smaller cities and towns in India are going through a fascinating evolution in the way they find love and friendships. India’s fastest-growing dating app, QuackQuack, studied 11,678 active daters from Tier 2 and 3 cities. Participants ranged between 18 and 35, with mixed professional backgrounds from IT professionals, teachers, business owners, sales and marketing specialists, and more. A good portion of the respondents are students and professionals pursuing higher studies.
QuackQuack’s Founder and CEO, Ravi Mittal, commented on the survey, “We are looking to understand the trends of smaller cities and towns, where a major part of our users come from; there’s certainly a growing comfort of online dating among them, but also their dating patterns has a unique cultural touch which sets them apart from Metro daters, and that difference needs to be studied better to provide suitable experiences tailored for these daters.”
Slow Paced Dating
While 2025 saw the rise of Flash Connection among GenZ and a portion of Millennials, the data was more partial toward Tier 1 daters. QuackQuack’s survey shows Tier 2 and 3 city daters still favor slow-paced dating. Over 38% of daters from these smaller cities prefer to continue conversations over the app even after a month of connecting. The thrill of “Instant Connection” is on the backseat to well-paced interactions. Namita (27) from Mysore said, “I have lived in Bangalore, and I can tell that the classic gradual courtship is far more popular in interior India than in bigger cities.”
Marriage and Friendship on Mind
Even though traditions still hold value in Tier 2 and 3 cities, the rush to get married has reduced considerably, according to the data. 2 in 5 men above 27 are open to serious relationships, while 3 in 5 women above 25 are looking for genuine friendships on the app. Interestingly, most daters have moved from thinking of dating apps as a ‘shortcut to weddings’ to a ‘platform to form meaningful connections before settling down.’ Tushar, a 33-year-old English teacher, said, “I am still unmarried, but that does not mean I would rush the matching process. I am here for something real that can lead to serious commitment, maybe even a lifetime one.”
Cross-City Connections
Cross-city connections are not just reserved for Metros. The survey shows the trend is more relevant among Tier 2 and 3 daters. 4387 women revealed deliberately connecting with men from Tier 1 cities for the big-city dating experience. Some respondents also disclosed matching with users from cities they were scheduled to move to for their jobs. Niharika (25) said, “I was first posted in Delhi, which is quite far from my hometown. So before leaving, I found people from there. The idea was not limited to dating. I wanted to have connections in the new place, plus it’s also great for professional networking.”
Friends As Matchmakers
One unique trend noticed in Tier 3 cities is the involvement of friends, even in online dating. Over 3500 men between 20 and 25 shared how their friends and cousins convinced them to get on the app, helped them set up their profiles, and sometimes even helped select compatible matches during the initial days.
Family opinions matter
The survey shed light on the shift from the “secret dating life of Tier 2 and 3 daters” to not being a secret anymore. Nearly 19% of daters, mostly men, admitted that their families are aware of their dating life and are rarely unintrusive about it. Daters’ whose families know are noted to be mostly seeking serious long-term relationships- their families have strong opinions on their matches, and as disclosed by these users, those opinions matter to them and hold the power to sway their decisions.
