India’s first vernacular dating app welcomes Huma Qureshi as investor

flutrr, India's first vernacular dating app, proudly announces that acclaimed actress Huma Qureshi has recently invested in the Kolkata-based startup.

Co-founded in December 2021 by IIM Lucknow alumni Kaushik Banerjee and Anirban Banerjee, flutrr seeks to revolutionize online dating by catering to the Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets of India. The app supports 6 Indian languages, enabling young Indians to forge meaningful relationships rooted in shared linguistic, traditional, and cultural interest.

Qureshi expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “I don’t understand tech and given my job, I haven’t had the luxury of exploring dating apps. But I took this leap because, as a woman, I understand the empowerment that comes from having the freedom to choose your life partner. I deeply admire how the founders recognized this need and are building for the desi audience. I’m excited to be part of this growth story.”

Kaushik Banerjee, Co-Founder and CEO of flutrr, emphasized the significance of this partnership: “Huma’s investment propels us toward becoming a pan-India success story from Kolkata. We’re thrilled to welcome a strong woman like Huma to the flutrr family.”

Anirban Banerjee, Co-Founder and CMO, added, “Huma has always taken up strong feminist roles in her career. And as a women-centric app, we couldn’t be more excited to have her on board.”

“The Indian dating ecosystem is evolving in Bharat. We, at flutrr are excited about the prospect of scaling flutrr’s journey within this ecosystem together with Huma,” stated Suhrid Devsharma, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer. 

Statista’s most recent study of the online dating market in India reveals that with the entrance of the Gen Z audience, users are becoming increasingly tech savvy,, as a result of which the traditional arranged marriage structure is constantly evolving.

Indian youth are increasingly looking towards autonomy in making important life decisions, such as selecting a partner. They are hence highly likely to use platforms that allow users to find potential partners that match their likes, dislikes & interests. 

While India is the fifth fastest growing online dating market in the world, established national and international players in this sector have primarily focused on only Tier 1 Indian cities with a considerable English-speaking population and high disposable income.

Small-town India, colloquially known as "Bharat", boasts around 650 million youth who lack English fluency. However, the 'JIO Effect' has brought affordable internet access to even the remotest corners of the nation, levelling the digital playing field. flutrr is pioneering this change by offering a dating app available in major Indian languages, enabling young individuals to connect with potential romantic partners in their native tongues.

India is a significantly large country with diverse preferences that are largely influenced by the region, upbringing and life individuals have been exposed to. These individuals are largely those who are in touch with their cultural, traditional & linguistic identities. flutrr is working on building a safe, inclusive, and affordable platform for a larger audience of 650 million youth. flutrr stressed the importance of encouraging individuals to find long-term stable relationships on the basis of shared cultural values and interests.

The online dating industry in India is expected to reach USD $ 69.90 m in 2024. flutrr is aiming to capitalise on this market and has already raised approximately $750k from notable investors, including Times of India, The Chennai Angels, and several luminaries from within the corporate sphere, including top-level executives from Google, SAP, Microsoft & DBS.

flutrr has not only pioneered a unique business model tailored for India's hinterlands, but it has also achieved remarkable milestones in a short span of time. With an active user base exceeding 400,000, the app is nearing 1 million downloads, generating a monthly revenue of INR 20-21 lakhs (USD 28K), and is on track to be profitable by the end of 2024.

flutrr remains committed to empowering the youth in small towns to exercise their choice and freedom to meet their significant others and forge long term relationships through the platform.

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