What is the Sunset Clause dating trend and why 37% Indians are now leaning towards it?

The dating scene in India is witnessing a major shift. One of the growing trends here is the Sunset Clause trend, as a result of burnout and emotional exhaustion. According to the recent survey done by the Indian dating site QuackQuack, 37% of the dating crowd now wants to have a definitive time-bound strategy regarding how long they want to stay in dating sites before taking a step back and calling it quits. The study was carried out among 7,583 actively using the site, who fall between the age bracket of 22-35 years, Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities.

The new dating trend Sunset Clause signals a major shift in India

The key to this paradigm shift is in the way singles use dating apps. From being an afterthought, dating apps are being employed in a planned way, with the sunset clause approach, as followed in the India dating apps approach. More than 70% of the sample pool replied that they restrict the use of dating apps to six months to a year, “until I meet the right one.”

A new definition of compatibility among Indian dating individuals has emerged. The study revealed that 41% of dating people in 2026 believe that career speed, ambition, and work-life balance are critical considerations in a potential partner. Synchrony in work cycles, from being a desirable consideration, has now become a required conversation in the initial stage because a person's career is increasingly impacting his/her lifestyle.

Nostalgia has also proved to be an effective emotional bonding factor that mainly targets millennials above 30 years old. 3 out of 5 millennial singles in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities claimed that they can connect with other millennials through memories involving 1990s and 2000s music and pop culture. Another significant trend is the increased adoption of relationship structure check-ins. Approximately 18% of women and 11% of men between the ages of 25 and 35 perform “connection reviews” to gauge their communications and level of emotional satisfaction.

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