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India's Take On Tinder Puts Women In Charge

The latest dating app to hit India hopes to be the perfect fit for the India's nearly 175 million mobile internet users. Historically a country focused on matchmaking, a cultural shift towards dating has lead to India's young and single population looking for new pathways to meeting people. Although a variety of matchmaking websites and apps like Tinder have been introduced, none have seemed to be quite the right fit for the wants of India's daters. Tina Chulet, founder of Waltzz, thinks she has found the balance between Tinder and matchmaking with an app "for those who are serious about meeting people, but not looking for a quick entry into a serious relationship ... something which traditional matchmaking has not advocated," Forbes reports.

Chulet has attempted to tailor it toward Indian daters, who she claims are more shy, so the app includes a conversation starter based off of shared interests. It also has a much more thorough take on safety and authenticity than other apps, with a 4-step verification process including LinkedIn, Facebook, email and phone. Profiles and comments are scanned for abusive language, which, along with the information on etiquette, are aimed at creating a safe space for Indian singles, especially women. In fact that site allows women to sign up freely, but for men membership is invite-only. According to their website:

We cater towards women who know what they want and to the men who want them. To create a safe and secure dating platform, we want the women to help us to curate our male waltzzers. Trust me when I say that we love men as much as we love women. But more women online is better. It makes finding a relationship even easier.

Putting women in the driver's seat and monitoring for abuse are great steps in building a dating space where women can feel comfortable. Whether Waltzz will be the perfect fit for India's huge single population, only time will tell.

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