With relationships constantly evolving, urban India is undergoing an incredible transformation that redefines the way you perceive them in your lives.
According to a new study, 41 per cent of people in Bengaluru said they would agree to opening their relationship if their partner wanted to — which ranks it as one of the most emotionally progressive metros in India. Hyderabad and Mumbai are similarly progressive, reporting increasing acceptance of non-traditional relationships. In fact, more than 55 per cent of all respondents indicated that they believe relationships will be free in the next decade.
Surprisingly, although 94 per cent of urban Indians reported that they are “happy” in their current relationships, Gleeden’s `Infidelity Study 2025` by Ipsos states that happiness comes with a catch where 51 per cent feel emotionally disconnected from their partners, and 46 per cent said they frequently think of connecting with someone outside their relationship. It seems like the days of secret affair suggest this story is more about radical emotional honesty and relationships that are more fluid, particularly in the urban centres across India.
The emergence of open models
Cultural reckonings around fidelity are led by cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. While 69 per cent of Indians believe infidelity occurred at increased rates over the past 10 years, largely due to dating apps and social media, many urban couples strive for transparency over secrecy. In Hyderabad, many participants reported considering open relationships and mutually engaging in open relationships. In more conservative, old colonial cities of Kochi and Jaipur, Gen X reported the most open answers, with 51 per cent agreeing to open relationships if their partner suggested it. This is not the end of commitment, but just a reinvention of it. Couples are increasingly realising that long-term bonds can persist not by denial but dialogue and possibility.
Gen X leading new relationship order
The idea that openness in relationships is a Gen Z phenomenon was blown out of the water by the study. It turns out Gen X (45 – 60 years) were the most experimental redefining fidelity and openness. Across Indore, Ahmedabad and Kochi, Gen X provided the highest rates of both emotional and physical infidelity at 52 per cent, but also the highest willingness to talk about open relationships. This suggests people are realising arrangements based on consent are potentially healthier than unwitting betrayals. What is more, in these cities, older generations provide the strongest beliefs humans are not wired for monogamy. 50 per cent of Gen X participants in Patna and Kolkata reported that infidelity was sometimes excusable, especially when a relationship is “emotional” broken.
According to the report, an astonishing 69 per cent of participants feel society has reached a new juncture in terms of acceptance of open relationships with metro cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru leading the charge in cultural adaptation. In these metro cities, people want to take apart the narrative of monogamy-or-bust.
“We are seeing a cultural liberation. Infidelity is no longer simply an act of betrayal. It is about emotional need, honesty, and evolving social contracts. In these cities – ones built on ambition and individuality relationships are more about negotiation than prescription. In India where society is in a strange game of navigating a benefiting tradition and a maturing world we can say that fidelity is not static. Through whatever route, whether through monogamy or open love, emotional honesty is becoming the currency for connection – and India is at the forefront.” remarks Sybil Shiddell, Country Manager, Gleeden India
Technology: The temptation and the teacher
While 69 per cent of Indians argue that social media makes cheating easier, the same tech is also carving space for honest conversations about unmet needs. In New Delhi and Bengaluru, for example, young couples are using dating apps and other digital platforms as public but private ways to explore open relationships. While in Mumbai, 63 per cent kept their social media engagement secret, we have seen an increase in open honesty — 41 per cent said they would prefer to open up their relationship than keep it a secret. The lines between digital flirting and the boundaries of real life are being rewritten in real time, especially in India`s technologically connected metros.
The death of deceit and the dawn of dialogue
The study shows both shocking and promising findings — 62 per cent of Indians claimed they would forgive their partner for a single act of infidelity if they experienced genuine remorse. This finding is supported by recent data from Jaipur and Kochi the typical measure of growth in a relationship is now based on forgiveness and emotional accountability. As more people begin to choose to talk rather than hide, emotional cheating has changed — nearly half of respondents stated emotional cheating is more hurtful than physical cheating, especially in Kolkata, Delhi, and Bangalore. In truth, there is a push for more honesty and empathy, to allow for emerging modifications in love models.