Bengaluru, long known as India’s technology capital and a city of opportunity, is now at the centre of a controversial social discussion after reports claimed it contributes the highest user base in India for Gleeden, an app marketed for married people seeking relationships outside marriage.
According to reports, Bengaluru accounts for nearly 18 per cent of the platform’s Indian users, placing the city at the top of the list.
Why Bengaluru features prominently
Experts suggest that Bengaluru’s cosmopolitan culture, migrant population, demanding work schedules and evolving relationship attitudes may be contributing factors.
Bengaluru attracts lakhs of professionals from across India each year, many of whom live away from family support systems while navigating fast-paced urban life.
Emotional distance in modern marriages
Relationship experts cited in reports say long commutes, workplace stress and digital distractions can weaken emotional connection between partners.
Some psychologists describe modern couples as living “parallel lives”, where responsibilities continue but emotional intimacy declines over time.
They say infidelity is often linked not merely to desire, but to unmet emotional needs, loneliness, lack of communication and the search for validation.
Women also part of changing trends
Reports also indicate a growing number of women users on such platforms, reflecting changing social norms and increasing openness in discussing emotional fulfilment and dissatisfaction.
Experts say this challenges older stereotypes that infidelity is primarily driven by men.
Bigger issue may be urban loneliness
While headlines focus on rankings, analysts say the deeper issue is social disconnection in highly connected cities.
Many young professionals struggle to balance ambition, relationships, stress and personal well-being in fast-moving metro environments.
More than a controversial statistic
Whether or not Bengaluru is India’s “most unfaithful city”, the debate has opened wider conversations on marriage health, mental well-being and the pressures of modern city living.