The return of arranged marriages among sections of India’s younger generation is less a rejection of modernity than an indictment of the digital age’s promise that technology could simplify the search for lifelong companionship. The story unfolding today is not one of tradition triumphing over progress. It is about a generation recalibrating its priorities after discovering that unlimited choice often produces uncertainty rather than fulfilment.

For nearly two decades, dating apps transformed romance into an endless marketplace. Algorithms promised compatibility, while social media encouraged carefully curated identities. Yet the same platforms also normalised ghosting, fleeting relationships and the belief that a better option was always just another swipe away. In such an environment, commitment itself became difficult. Relationships increasingly resembled consumer choices, where abundance encouraged hesitation instead of confidence. It is hardly surprising therefore, that many young Indians are looking beyond digital platforms for greater certainty.

But the institution they are embracing is not the arranged marriage of previous generations. Parents no longer dictate outcomes;........

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