This Tiny Town Tops List of India’s Non-Monogamy Hotspots, Surpassing Metro Cities
This Tiny Town Tops List of India’s Non-Monogamy Hotspots, Surpassing Metro Cities
Tiny Tamil Nadu town of just 2 lakh residents beats Mumbai, Delhi and Goa in cheating rates, says Ashley Madison data
Kanchipuram, a tier-3 town in Tamil Nadu known for its temples and silk sarees, has emerged as India’s leading non-monogamy hotspot, according to data from global dating app Ashley Madison. The town, with a population of only around two lakh, ranked first in the app’s list of top Indian cities with the highest rates of infidelity and non-monogamous behavior.
Released in June 2025, the Ashley Madison report shows that Kanchipuram has overtaken big metros like Delhi and Mumbai in terms of user signups and engagement, signalling a dramatic shift in dating and relationship trends in India. Notably, the town was ranked 17th last year, making its rise even more remarkable.
Ashley Madison, which brands itself as the world’s number one dating app for married people, reported a surge in Indian signups, especially from smaller towns. “India is already ranked sixth among our global markets, and we anticipate it climbing even higher by the end of the year,” said Paul Keable, Chief Strategy Officer at Ashley Madison. “These numbers suggest the growing acceptance of non-monogamy, and at Ashley Madison, we provide a space for people to explore those connections discreetly.”
While Kanchipuram took the top spot, Central Delhi came in second, followed by Gurgaon. Interestingly, Mumbai did not even make the top 20. Nine cities from the Delhi-NCR region featured prominently, including Ghaziabad, Noida, and six districts of Delhi. Other tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Jaipur, Chandigarh, Raigarh, and Kamrup also made the list.
Earlier this year, Ashley Madison shared findings from a YouGov survey showing that India and Brazil had the highest rates of self-admitted infidelity globally, 53 percent of respondents in both countries confessed to having had an affair.
The data not only indicates changing relationship dynamics but also underlines a shift in cultural openness and exploration of non-traditional partnerships in India, particularly outside its metro cities.
