Diwali is over, the diyas are packed away, and for a large number of single Indians the festival has left behind something less cheerful than sweets and fireworks. A new post-Diwali survey by dating app QuackQuack finds that festive family gatherings are quietly pushing many singles toward a decision they may not be ready for: finding a partner, and finding one fast.
The survey, published on Tuesday, spoke to 10,000 dating app users aged 28 to 35 from metro and suburban regions across India. Its headline finding is hard to miss. According to 49 per cent of single dating app users, festive gatherings can unexpectedly affect dating decisions. For many, the festival season does not just bring people together. It also brings the questions, the comparisons and the unsolicited advice.
The last single friend in the room
Diwali has always been about reunions, familiar faces and catching up after ages. But for Millennials who are still single, the same gathering can feel very different. The survey found that what was once an ordinary chance to meet old friends is slowly turning into quiet comparisons, unsolicited advice and repeated questions about marriage plans.
The feeling, the survey suggests, comes from two directions at once. There is the pressure from within, the uncomfortable realisation that you might be the last single friend in the group. And then there is the pressure from outside, the relatives who treat your relationship status as the main topic of conversation at the dinner table.
As many as 4,857 respondents from Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities said festive gatherings can quickly turn into a question-and-answer session for Millennials who are yet to find their person. The questions are familiar to anyone who has sat through a family Diwali party: when are you getting married, have you met anyone, what are you waiting for.
Competition, not romance
Perhaps the most striking finding is why this pressure works. According to the survey, 39 per cent of women and 41 per cent of men said the urgency to find the perfect match does not usually come from a genuine wish to meet the one. It is more competitive than romantic.
Meeting friends and family who are married or committed, watching them hit milestones and answering their questions about single life almost always leads to a renewed rush to find someone. The push is not about love. It is about keeping up, about not being the odd one out in a room full of couples.
That rush has a visible effect on dating apps themselves. The survey found that 18 per cent of Indian singles said the festive season made them more active on dating apps and led to meeting more compatible people. For a smaller group, the pressure had a genuinely positive outcome. For the majority, though, the aftermath of Diwali gatherings is usually more cynical, a sense of being pushed into something rather than choosing it.
Why Diwali hits harder than other festivals
There is a reason the post-Diwali period shows up so strongly in dating data. Diwali is the one festival where almost every family gets together in the same place at the same time, and where the comparison is impossible to avoid. Cousins arrive with partners, old friends turn up with spouses, and the single person in the corner becomes the subject of the evening.
Dating apps have noticed this pattern before. Activity typically spikes around the festive season, as singles who spent the week fielding questions open their apps the moment the gatherings end. QuackQuack founder and CEO Ravi Mittal commented on the findings in the survey release, noting that the festive rush is a familiar pattern in the app’s data.
The survey also hints at a longer trend. Singles over 28, the group this study focused on, face a different kind of pressure than younger daters. At that age, the questions are no longer casual. Family members treat settling down as overdue, and the festive season becomes the annual reminder.
What singles can take away from this
The survey is a reminder that a decision as personal as choosing a partner should not be made on a deadline set by a family gathering. Here are a few things worth keeping in mind if the Diwali questions are still ringing in your ears:
- Pressure is not the same as readiness. Feeling rushed after a family dinner is normal, but it is not a reason to settle for a match that does not feel right.
- Activity is not the same as progress. Being more active on a dating app, as 18 per cent of respondents said they were, only helps if the matches are genuinely compatible.
- Comparison is the real culprit. Nearly four in ten respondents said the urgency was competitive, not romantic. Recognising that can take the sting out of it.
- Boundaries help. It is perfectly fine to tell relatives, politely, that your relationship status is not up for discussion at the dinner table.
Diwali 2026 may be over, but the conversation it started is not. For Indian singles, the festive season has once again shown how quickly a celebration can turn into a cross-examination, and how important it is to make dating decisions on your own terms, not on someone else’s timetable.
FAQs
What did the QuackQuack post-Diwali survey find?
The survey of 10,000 dating app users aged 28 to 35 found that 49 per cent of single users said festive gatherings can unexpectedly affect their dating decisions, often pushing them to look for a partner faster than they otherwise would.
How many people took part in the survey?
The study included 10,000 online dating app users aged 28 to 35 from metro and suburban regions of India, including singles who were anticipating a Diwali meetup and others who had one the previous year.
Why do festive gatherings affect dating decisions?
According to the survey, meeting married or committed friends and family, watching them hit milestones and answering repeated questions about single life creates a renewed rush to find someone. For 39 per cent of women and 41 per cent of men, that urgency is more competitive than romantic.
Did the survey find any positive effects?
Yes. Around 18 per cent of Indian singles said the festive season made them more active on dating apps and led to meeting more compatible people.
Who conducted the survey?
The post-Diwali survey was conducted by Indian dating app QuackQuack, and its founder and CEO Ravi Mittal commented on the findings.
The findings come from QuackQuack’s post-Diwali survey of 10,000 users, published on November 10, 2026.
