What if Bengaluru, the city known for its high standard of living, startups, and posh lifestyle, is quietly also topping the list of something very controversial?
Recent reports have shown that Bengaluru contributes to the maximum user base of an app called Gleeden, an app built specifically for those “looking for an affair in your area or a lover miles away while on a trip.” Not for singles. Not for divorcees. It is an app built for married people who are seeking extramarital relationships.
Why Bengaluru?
As per reports, Bengaluru contributes about 18 per cent of the app’s 4 million users from India. That’s about 720,000 people unhappy with their marriages, looking for relationships outside their own. But the question that arises isn’t just how many. It’s why Bengaluru?
According to Sybil Shiddell, Gleeden’s country manager (India), “The city’s cosmopolitan culture, demanding work schedules, and exposure to global ideas contribute to higher usage. Plus, there is a greater acceptance of evolving relationship norms.”
Every year, Bengaluru welcomes a large number of migrants. According to the Census 2011, about four in every ten people in Bengaluru are migrants. Out of 96.2 lakh of Bengaluru’s population, 44.3 lakh are categorised as migrants, stated the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner.
When individuals move away from home to a city like Bengaluru that offers a better way of life, what often follows is loneliness and a constant spiral into urban life. As Deccan Herald quotes clinical psychologist and couple and sex therapist Dr Meghna Singhal, “Long hours, long commutes, and constant stress leave very little emotional bandwidth. Couples often end up living parallel lives rather than shared, intimate ones.”
Dr Singhal further explains the psychology behind this in her LinkedIn post, where she talks about how such emotional distance often leads to people drifting apart. Couples might be living together, but the driving force behind this companionship isn’t love but habit and commitments. Calling such bonds “roommate marriages”, she writes that this “chronic under-connection causes partners to drift apart without any major conflict.”
Read More: Extramarital Affairs Only App Has Maximum Users From India, Bengaluru Leading
Not Always a Man
Statistically, about 65 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women contribute to Gleeden’s user base. Out of this, Bengaluru’s females contribute 24 per cent of the app’s user base. Psychotherapist Tasneem Nakhoda explains, “With greater awareness, women are becoming more attuned to their emotional needs. They are more likely to express what they feel, and seek fulfilment.”
Whereas men, she explains, “may take longer to articulate their needs, which can create communication gaps”. This challenges the traditional viewpoint that it’s always men who choose infidelity. Infidelity comes irrespective of gender and is often the result of deeper emotional reasons.
What Are the Causes?
Dr Munia Bhattacharya, a senior clinical psychologist at Marengo Asia Hospitals, explains, “Infidelity today is less about morality and more about unmet emotional needs. Many people are not looking to leave their marriage but are seeking validation, attention, and emotional connection.
Modern lifestyles have increased emotional distance between partners. Work stress, digital distractions, and lack of meaningful communication often leave partners feeling unseen at home. This emotional gap creates vulnerability.”
A 2025 survey conducted by Ipsos explains why people cheat outside their marriages. The study introduces a term called “time poverty”. About 33 per cent of individuals admit to having no time for themselves.
When individuals are too consumed by work or responsibilities, they struggle to manage time for their personal lives or their partners, leading to extramarital relationships. In cities like Bengaluru, long working hours and hustle culture are the norm for most.
Further, almost 49 per cent of Indians have admitted to being sexually intimate with an AI chatbot instead of their partner, which highlights how loneliness and lack of emotional confrontation could be the underlying causes behind why many people rely on discreet apps like Gleeden.
When people begin to rely more on AI bots or strangers for emotional connections, it highlights a shift in how people perceive relationships these days. And it all comes down to how people avoid communicating about their discomfort within marriages, allowing platforms like Gleeden to thrive on exactly that. It doesn’t necessarily create infidelity; rather, it makes it more accessible.
So, is Bengaluru really the most unfaithful city in India?
As per records, data, and its contribution to platforms like Gleeden, Bengaluru certainly tops the list. But beneath these numbers lies a truth that perhaps this generation is yet to realise.
Despite being the most connected generation, we’re all somehow still deeply disconnected, and all of this stems from how, in the quest for the best life, we’re all struggling to feel understood or just heard.
And Bengaluru might sit at the top of a controversial chart, but what’s really struggling is an entire generation.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Deccan Herald, Money Control, The Times of India
Find the blogger: @shubhangichoudhary_29
This post is tagged under: Bengaluru infidelity, Gleeden India, extramarital affairs India, urban loneliness, modern relationships India, cheating statistics India, Bengaluru lifestyle, migrant life India, relationship psychology, time poverty, AI relationships, dating apps India, marriage issues India, emotional disconnect, Indian youth relationships
Disclaimer: We do not own any rights or copyrights to the images used; these images have been sourced from Google. If you require credits or wish to request removal, please contact us via email.
Other Recommendations:
Why Is January Considered To Be The Divorce And Breakup Month?
