Brands
69 per cent of Indians say non-monogamy is gaining social acceptance: Gleeden report
NATIONAL: As India heads into 2026, a quiet but unmistakable shift is reshaping how relationships are formed and defined. A new nationwide survey by dating platform Gleeden, conducted with IPSOS among 1,510 respondents, finds that 69 per cent of Indians believe non-monogamous relationships are becoming socially acceptable, challenging the long-held idea that monogamy is a social obligation rather than a choice.
The findings suggest not a collapse of commitment, but its reinvention. Respondents increasingly view openness and consent as central to modern relationships, replacing rigid rules with personalised agreements built on communication and emotional clarity.
In tier-1 cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata—68 per cent of respondents say India is becoming more open to non-monogamous relationships, though 22 per cent believe monogamy will remain the norm. Delhi emerges as the most progressive metro, with 80 per cent reporting growing acceptance and just 15 per cent identifying monogamy as their only relationship structure. Mumbai follows, with 69 per cent acknowledging greater openness, while Bengaluru reports 70 per cent acceptance. Hyderabad lags slightly at 58 per cent, and Kolkata sits in the middle, with 65 per cent seeing increased acceptance alongside a strong monogamous preference.
More striking is the data from tier-2 India. Across Jaipur, Ludhiana, Patna, Kochi, Guwahati and Indore, 70 per cent of respondents report openness to non-monogamous relationships, edging past the metros. Guwahati tops the national chart, with 86 per cent signalling acceptance, followed by Jaipur at 77 per cent and Ludhiana at 74 per cent. Even Patna, often seen as conservative, records 65 per cent acceptance. Indore remains the most traditional tier-2 city, though a majority there still acknowledge shifting attitudes.
The near-parity between tier-1 (68 per cent) and tier-2 (70 per cent) acceptance levels punctures the notion that non-monogamy is confined to an urban elite. The survey points to changing lifestyles and rising emotional literacy as key drivers, with Indians across geographies converging on the idea that relationships should be governed by consent, communication and choice, not inherited norms.
Gleeden India country manager Sybil Shiddell, says the trend reflects an evolution rather than an erosion of values. Indian couples, she notes, are choosing honesty and mutual consent over expectations that can breed secrecy and resentment. Increasingly, partners are replacing fixed rules with negotiated “contracts” that redefine exclusivity and loyalty on their own terms.
Brands
Delhivery chairman Deepak Kapoor, independent director Saugata Gupta quit board
Gurugram: Delhivery’s boardroom is being reset. Deepak Kapoor, chairman and independent director, has resigned with effect from April 1 as part of a planned board reconstitution, the logistics company said in an exchange filing. Saugata Gupta, managing director and chief executive of FMCG major Marico and an independent director on Delhivery’s board, has also stepped down.
Kapoor exits after an eight-year stint that included steering the company through its 2022 stock-market debut, a period that saw Delhivery transform from a venture-backed upstart into one of India’s most visible logistics platforms. Gupta, who joined the board in 2021, departs alongside him, marking a simultaneous clearing of two senior independent seats.
“Deepak and Saugata have been instrumental in our process of recognising the need for and enabling the reconstitution of the board of directors in line with our ambitious next phase of growth,” said Sahil Barua, managing director and chief executive, Delhivery. The statement frames the exits less as departures and more as deliberate succession, a boardroom shuffle timed to the company’s evolving scale and strategy.
The resignations arrive amid broader governance recalibration. In 2025, Delhivery appointed Emcure Pharmaceuticals whole-time director Namita Thapar, PB Fintech founder and chairman Yashish Dahiya, and IIM Bangalore faculty member Padmini Srinivasan as independent directors, signalling a tilt towards consumer, fintech and academic expertise at the board level.
Kapoor’s tenure spanned Delhivery’s most defining years, rapid network expansion, public listing and the push towards profitability in a bruising logistics market. Gupta’s presence brought FMCG and brand-scale perspective during a period when ecommerce volumes and last-mile delivery economics were being rewritten.
The twin exits, effective from the new financial year, underscore a familiar corporate rhythm: founders consolidate, veterans rotate out, and fresh voices are ushered in to script the next chapter. In India’s hyper-competitive logistics race, even the boardroom does not stand still.
Brands
Brnd.me enters Europe as haircare brands power global expansion
Bengaluru: Brnd.me, the global consumer brands company formerly known as Mensa Brands, has entered the European market following strong momentum across the Middle East, the United States and Canada.
The company has launched across the UK, Germany, France and Spain, with plans to expand into Italy, the Netherlands and Poland over the next year. The push is being led by its haircare and aromatherapy brands, Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure, marking Brnd.me’s first structured expansion into Europe.
The European beauty market represents a total addressable opportunity of over $4 billion across haircare and aromatherapy, supported by high digital adoption and demand for accessible, performance-led products.
Brnd.me’s hair care and aromatherapy business currently operates at an annual run rate of around $6 million, with Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure delivering roughly 10 per cent month-on-month growth, driven by expansion and rising repeat demand.
To support regional growth, the company has appointed a general manager based in Germany and is evaluating investments in warehousing and local team expansion.
Early traction has been strong. Within weeks of launch, Botanic Hearth’s rosemary hair oil ranked among the top five hair oils in Germany, signalling strong consumer pull in a competitive market.
Brnd.me founder and chief executive officer Ananth Narayanan, said Europe represents the next phase of the company’s international strategy. He added that the European business is expected to scale to a $10 million annual run rate by the end of 2026, with long-term ambitions to reach $60 million over the next six years.
The company’s Europe strategy centres on digital-first distribution, repeat demand and TikTok-led discovery, alongside direct-to-consumer expansion to strengthen brand equity and margins.
The move also aligns with growing EU–India trade engagement, supporting long-term sourcing and cross-border supply chains.
Brands
TechnoSport taps quick commerce with launch on Slikk’s 60-minute platform
NATIONAL: TechnoSport has launched on Slikk, the ultra-fast fashion app offering 60-minute delivery, as the activewear brand accelerates its push into quick commerce to capture Gen Z and young millennial shoppers.
The debut brings more than 150 high-performance styles to Slikk’s platform, with an average selling price of Rs 450, expanding TechnoSport’s reach across over 80 pin codes.
The partnership follows strong momentum for TechnoSport across Q-commerce channels, where the brand has recorded around 60 per cent volume growth over the past six months. The company expects quick commerce to contribute nearly 20 per cent of its revenue in the coming years as hyperlocal delivery gains scale.
Slikk, which recently raised $3.2 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed, has rapidly gained popularity among youth consumers seeking speed, trend relevance and impulse-led shopping experiences.
Activewear remains one of Slikk’s fastest-growing categories, driven by shoppers increasingly treating fitness-led fashion as an everyday essential. The platform has reported a 30-fold year-on-year increase in items sold, reflecting rising demand for performance wear that blends comfort with style.
TechnoSport chief executive officer Puspen Maity, said the collaboration would help the brand engage more closely with young consumers whose fashion choices are shaped by instant needs and lifestyle aspirations. He added that rapid delivery bridges the gap between intent and purchase, allowing shoppers to access activewear exactly when they want it.
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