Trifler Sees Offline Dating Growth in Indian Audience
Trifler, an emerging social-meetup app from India, is seeking to tackle the growing trend of digital fatigue by helping users reconnect offline. Launched in 2023 by founders Saurav Sharma, Abhishek Upadhyay, and Laksh Wasson, the platform enables users to organize in-person meetups – such as dining, gym sessions, gaming, and local exploration – while keeping interactions secure, convenient, and engaging. As of two weeks ago, the platform hit the 10,000 user and 150 match milestone.
Instead of relying on virtual matches or romantic intent, Trifler matches individuals based on shared interests, location, and available venue deals. When users book a plan – such as coffee, badminton, or go‑karting – they receive a unique OTP at the venue to verify their identity. All payments, handled via Razorpay, are transparently split 50/50 at the outset, ensuring clarity and commitment.
Platform features include user and venue verification, real-time notifications for invites and bookings, and an in‑app feedback system. This structure aims to eliminate friction and build trust, encouraging meaningful real‑world interaction .
In its early traction phase, Trifler has onboarded over 200 venues and cultivated a user base that includes professionals, students, and newcomers to urban areas who are seeking social connection beyond traditional relations, and is in direct competition with other apps that focus on driving the urban Indian market into dates. Notably, the app has garnered attention on platforms like LinkedIn for facilitating networking opportunities alongside conventional dates, something that’s further bolstered by the password-based ID system the app uses.
Trifler’s approach reflects a broader shift among digital natives toward social detox, where users intentionally step away from virtual environments to foster direct experiences. As platforms stockpile features to drive screen engagement, Trifler promotes physical presence without pulling away from the digital side entirely – a countertrend that has become increasingly popular all across the world as global users start to feel fatigued with conventional dating experiences.
With a growing presence in Delhi and Noida, Trifler positions itself as part of a larger movement in India toward offline reconnection. Whether this model scales beyond its initial urban strongholds remains to be seen, but it underlines a distinct demand for genuine, situational socializing over conventional app-mediated interactions.
