Startups tackle loneliness with services for friendships and companionship

Studies show that loneliness transcends age, affecting everyone from the teenagers to the elderly

On a Saturday evening, a group of strangers gathered at the Cha Bar café in Connaught Place, New Delhi. Among them were government employees, students, and corporate professionals. The oldest was close to 40, the youngest not yet 20. It was an unusual mix, but they shared one thing in common: They were all lonely in the city.

This meetup served as a coping mechanism, allowing them to socialise for a few hours, bonding over books and other interests. None of them had family in Delhi.

With a population of more than 1.4 billion people, India might be the world’s most crowded country, but, paradoxically, it is also becoming a lonelier society — mirroring trends seen worldwide. 

Though humans have for centuries struggled with loneliness, it is only in recent times that the scale of it has become alarming. So much so that the World Health Organisation has classified it as a global public health concern. It is tough to quantify loneliness, but some studies have attempted to do so.

The Global State of Social Connections Report 2023 by Meta and American analytics firm Gallup, for instance, has ranked India 36th among 142 countries in terms of self-reported loneliness. According to the report, 30 per cent of Indians feel very lonely or fairly lonely, while 28 per cent feel a little lonely. 

Studies also show that loneliness transcends age, affecting everyone from the teenagers to the elderly.

The growing acknowledgment of the issue has given rise to a multi-layered industry. Ishan Gupta, co-founder of emotional wellness app Clarity, estimates it to be a multi-billion-dollar market that spans startups, apps, and gadgets and gizmos.

Startups that focus on connecting people — whether through friendships or travel buddies — are gaining popularity, particularly among the youth. “For travel partners, it is crucial to find a good match in terms of time, preferences, and personal chemistry. This is increasingly difficult for people aged 18 to 40,” says Michael Klumpp, co-founder of Tourlina, a Germany-based app that caters to female travellers, including in India.

The elder care sector, a more established segment of this industry, is also ripe for expansion. “We are seeing growing interest from both investors and corporate houses,” says Pankaj Arora, Chief Growth Officer at elder care platform Emoha. He notes that many human resources departments are beginning to offer elder care services for employees’ parents. 

New driving force

Hectic lifestyles, career demands, and social boundaries often leave the young feeling disconnected. 

“The feeling of loneliness can begin as early as adolescence,” says Janani S Prasanna, a Tamil Nadu-based psychiatrist and expert in adolescent mental health. “With the rise of social media, it is becoming harder for young people to build trust in relationships.”

With young people at the heart of this problem, meetups and virtual friendship platforms are on the rise.

Dating app Bumble introduced its BFF (Bumble for friends) feature in 2016 in response to the growing demand for virtual friendships. “Up to 15 per cent of Bumble’s monthly active users engage with the BFF mode,” says Lucille McCart, Asia-Pacific (APAC) communications director at Bumble. She adds that virtual friendships have become increasingly normalised.

Clarity’s Gupta explains that for many young people, it is about finding relatability. “If you are going through a particular phase and you meet someone with a similar experience, it creates a safe space for conversations,” he says.

Vineet Tyagi, a software engineer from New Delhi, organises an event called ‘Books and Buddies’ through the Meetup app. Having experienced loneliness himself, Tyagi says, “I try to maintain a reading and writing schedule, though with work, it is challenging. But then, everyone here is trying.”

His goal is to create a non-judgmental space, which goes beyond just reading together — therefore the inclusion of ‘buddies’ in the event’s name. 

“Natural social interactions like meetups and extracurricular activities need to be encouraged, starting as early as childhood,” says Prasanna.

Tourlina, meanwhile, is seeing a growing interest from India. “More and more women from India have signed up on our app over the last one year. They now constitute almost 10 per cent of the user base,” says Klumpp.

Traditional users

With job-related migration and the rise of nuclear families, the elderly are often left to live alone. Platforms such as Khayaal, GenWise, and Emoha are stepping up to provide not just nursing care but also holistic wellness services.

“Our aim is to offer a one-stop platform for nursing, emergency services, and companionship,” says Saumyajit Roy, CEO of Emoha.

Take 84-year-old Kuldeep Kochhar, a retired army officer, who uses Emoha despite being physically fit. “I manage my work, but they assist with reminders and other tasks,” says Kochhar, who has three daughters who do not live in Bengaluru, where he is based. “It is reassuring to know someone is there, if needed.”

Ashish Verma, who lives in Japan, uses Emoha’s services for his parents in New Delhi. “These apps provide a sense of security and professionalism,” Verma says. He adds that though he could arrange similar services himself at a lower cost, he would constantly worry about the details. 

“Elders, especially in smaller cities, struggle to adapt to new surroundings. The goal is to make these services affordable,” says Arora. However, Kochhar says such services are anything but cheap. He pays approximately Rs 1.5 lakh for a  year.

Though the industry is growing, players agree that it remains largely unorganised. “Since loneliness is not a physical ailment, anyone can claim to offer a cure,” says Clarity’s Gupta, adding that the issue requires more attention.

“We need a stronger government push for major players to emerge,” says Emoha’s Arora. Although users cite cost as a challenge, Gupta emphasises that the initial goal is simply to raise awareness and get people on to these platforms.

Enter AI, but…

Globally, apps equipped with chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI) are making strides in addressing loneliness. In India, though, this concept is still in its infancy. 

“AI could be transformative, particularly in elder care,” says Roy. He is for physical and virtual sensors that track live movements. “For instance, if an elderly person goes to the bathroom and does not return within 20 minutes, sensors can detect that,” he explains, noting that 25 per cent of elderly people experience falls.

Despite the innovations, Gupta believes human involvement remains irreplaceable.