Why Tinder and India Swiped Right on Each Other

Tinder is going global. The Los Angeles-based dating platform took over online dating in the U.S. after it launched in 2012, with its success even inspiring copycat swipe-based apps in everything from fashion to real estate. Today, Tinder is operating in 196 countries, with 26 million matches per day and 1.4 billion daily swipes, according to the company.

But in 2016 the company is taking on its next big international challenge: leading a social revolution in India.

At first glance, Tinder and India may seem like an odd match. After all, India is a country where still nearly 90% of marriages are arranged while Tinder is all about letting you take an active role in finding a romantic partner. Yet as cultural attitudes change, particularly among the younger generation that make up about 50% of the nation’s population, online dating is becoming more acceptable. And India seems to be swiping right in a big way.

Tinder launched in India in 2013 and saw some immediate success, particularly among urban youth. But the dating platform’s network really exploded over the last year, growing by 400% in India in 2015 alone according to the company. Today, India is already Tinder’s top market in Asia and it could soon be its largest market worldwide. The company’s success in India also belies its pop-culture reputation as a casual dating app. In fact, its Indian users boast the most messages per match globally, meaning they are more likely to establish more long-term connections.

Tinder’s success in India is certainly an impressive feat. But not surprisingly, the company’s strategy in India echoes the company’s early success in the United States. To acquire its first users, Tinder decided to focus on Greek life at colleges. Typically men are expected to make the first move in dating. But Tinder went to women first. The company went door to door to sororities first, and only then did they talk with fraternities. As in the United States, women in India will be key to Tinder’s success.

That’s why, on the back of last year’s huge growth, Tinder decided in January to open an office in Delhi – the company’s first outside of the United States – to focus on growing its network in the India market.

With its Delhi base established, the company is embracing its role as an agent of cultural change. It even worked with a local comedy group called The Viral Fever to produce a video about using Tinder. The video went viral and helped establish Tinder as a prominent brand among its target demographic.

Indian viral video promotion Tinder

Arunabh Kumar, TVF Group’s founder and creative experiment officer says, “Tinder is actually the brand which has changed and actually impacted the culture very positively,” according to the comedy group’s founder. “You can pretty much divide India into pre-Tinder and post-Tinder era, where now, women don’t feel awkward being on the site.

Filed under: Platform Innovation | Topics: mobile dating apps, platforms