It's a new year with more opportunities to meet new people. While there are people who prefer different kinds of dates, a new study has found that more GenZ and millennials in India are increasingly adopting "mindful drinking", "sober curiosity" and going on alcohol-free "dry dates". 

According to dating app Bumble, the "Dry Dating" (alcohol-free dates) trend will continue to be popular well beyond dry January in 2023. The platform anticipated that this trend will be the top dating trend in 2022. People are intentionally selecting sober, alcohol-free dates as more single Indians reexamine their relationship with alcohol. In the new year, daters are getting better at expressing what they want and don't want in their dating experiences, questioning the status quo, and dating on their own terms.  

According to a recent national poll by the app, 24 per cent of single Indians who drink claim they won't do so on dates in 2023. The main justification for not drinking on a date, according to the majority (56 per cent) of people, is that they want to get to know the other person without being distracted. In an effort to improve their health and wellness by consuming less alcohol, 45 per cent of respondents who drink make the decision not to drink on dates.