Finding a romantic partner in this day and age is as simple as shopping online for a pair of black jeans, all thanks to these endless dating apps. But the search for real love is like going on a quest for the ideal pair of black jeans—loose enough on the thighs but tight enough on the waist.
Elvis Presley as mentioned in his song ” Wise men say, only fools rush in” … was talking about all of the fools of this generation who wanna date with a right swipe on a dating app.
However, finding a compatible mate who would really appreciate you for who you are, support you, and enhance your full potential is like looking for a gram seed on a beach. And if society doesn’t appreciate your Sexual orientation, well, in that case, you can just give up on finding love and uninstall all the dating apps that there are.
Well, that is no longer the case, as India now has a dating app that not only provides authentic connections that wish to last but also welcomes all sexual orientations; whether you are heterosexual or homosexual, “Glii will still be your cupid.”
Although section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that criminalizes homosexuality was scrapped in 2018, there is still a lot of taboo in India regarding the LGBTQ community. But Gili is finally prepared to discuss the LGBTQ community of India, their requirements, and their demands openly.
Casual Date Or Casualty Dating?
Dating apps have eased the hunt of finding love for us but at the stake of our safety, mental health, personal sanity, and most important thing – our own identity.
Glii is an online companionship and dating app that is 3 times safer, allows no cheaters on, and welcomes all sexualities with a warm hug. You might think, ‘We already have so many dating apps what is so special about Glii and what wonders can it do when the rest could not? ‘ So the answer to it is, ” The creators of Glii are made different”
MBA graduate and former hotelier Shivam Kaushik and his team decided to openly discuss LGBTQ concerns in India. Shivam decided not only to query the system that discriminates against LGBTQ but also to provide a secure space for the community to connect without fear of being judged or cheated on.
It was felt before it fell in place.
Just like most noble acts have blossomed out of a feeling of empathy by witnessing a close one suffering, this story also has a deeply personal angle to it. This experience propelled Shivam to be indifferent to society’s reaction while working on this one-of-a-kind project despite being straight as far as his own sexual orientation is concerned.
Shivam worked as a hotelier for industry giants such as Oberos Marriott & the rest. When Shivam was working on a cruise ship in UK as a crew member, he ended up sharing his room with a proud gay. Though his mate was very happy and accepting of his sexuality still, there was a void that could be sensed when he talked about LOVE.
He saw his roomie suffering from loneliness often due to the conservative mindset & judgy behavior of people. While Shivam could easily find potential dates on any of the ABC dating apps, it was nearly impossible for his friend to find a dating app with enough LGBTQ connections, and if there were any, they were mostly fraudsters using the apps for amusement.
My roommate was struggling with the idea of not belonging anywhere and this had created a deep sense of emptiness and a void in him. We’d frequently talk about how sick the society was to individuals of difffent sexualities, and how difficult it was to find a real buddy for the LGBTQ community.”
Shivam Kaushik, Founder of Glii
Shivam saw that his friend was having a hard time finding real love and friendship. He realized that this wasn’t just the case for his friend, but for almost all dating apps, whether you’re straight or gay. Most dating apps promote casual dating, which is either a waste of time or doesn’t work out in the long run, and it’s easy to get caught in blackmail, catfishing, and other scams.
A Good Calling
Unlike most people who just push these underlying societal issues under the carpet with a token of sympathy, he decided to create a change in society. After months of brainstorming with the right kind of people, he came up with the idea of building a unique app.
With immense experience in the hospitality industry, he decided to merge his knowledge with dating to create a state-of-the-art app that allows all of us especially the LGBTQ community to develop lasting bonds by finding colourful Souls.
Glii is a dating app where people of all sexual orientations can find real matches. It is a mix of hospitality and dating. One can book a table at a restaurant while using the app.
Glii is for all souls, of any shade, who seek to experience dating in the pursuit of a lifelong companion. We want to bridge the gap between casual dating and serious commitment.
Shivam Kaushik, Founder of Glii
Journey As An Entrepreneur
Shivam Kaushik launched the beta version of the Glii app in February 2021 after realizing that 15-18% of the Indian population and 9% of the world population comes under the homosexual category.
With the help of his family and friends, he launched Glii, a location-based social networking mobile app designed specifically for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, and all the rest of heterosexual users. Glii’s selling point is its direct connection to the hospitality industry.
This app allows users to discover excellent matches based on their preferences and arrange a meeting without disclosing their phone number or other personal information. To avoid hazardous meeting locations or fraud locations, one can choose from the app’s list of partnered cafes or restaurants. Only after meeting in public one may share personal information or continue a conversation without the risk of being exposed to potentially dangerous situations.
In no time Shivam and the team realised that India is not as homophobic as they had been led to believe; in fact, there are LGBTQ community societies and support groups in almost all tier-one cities. Shivam realized that uplifting and connecting the parents of the proud LGBTQ community is more important than anything else, and for this reason, Glii also created a proud parents club where the generation of the 1970s and 1980s could connect and embrace their children’s identities.
Growth Is A Giant Tree
He saw a lot of potential in this untapped market and wanted to cover the whole Indian diaspora. Soon after the launch of the app, Glii garnered 10,000 customers in a month. Further, it strengthened its position as a premium dating app in the market with more than 1 Lakh people, 3000 daily active users, 50,00+ matches, and 300+ restaurant bookings.
Further, with more than 8 lakh+ swipes, 25000 signed users and 3500 downloads, Glii has carved a niche for itself in the market in a short span of time, and Kaushik along with his team definitely is receiving a lot of love from the LGBTQ community.
How is Glii Different From Other Dating Apps?
Glii imparts a lot of safety as far as dating apps are concerned, as identity verification is done that eliminates the possibility of any scam. Unverified users are not allowed on this app and no person can use this app with a secret identity. Users are asked to share a photo of them which then is verified with a live scan avoiding any kind of cheats possible.
Further, this app comprises several features like-
- Profile Verification
- Restaurant Bookings
- Smart Push Notifications
- Referral Points
- Social Media Integrations
- Profile Recommendation and much more
With Glii now anyone can enjoy a safe dating experience through this app as it is the ‘only app’ that helps you in scheduling dating at hospitality establishments that are friendly to the LGBTQ+ community.
The Road Less Traveled
Kaushik’s journey is a testament to the fact that the power of faith can help a person conquer unchartered territories. This 30YO decided to walk a new road, he came from an Indian middle-class family where anything out of the ordinary is called “insane, and still, he decided to walk a road less traveled. Shivam not only decided to step into a new zone but also walked the ramp gracefully.
Team Glii also appeared on the very popular TV show, shark tank but luck was not in their favor.
We are now short on funds, but we are certain that we will soon find a sponsor who sees the huge potential in our concept and is willing to invest in it.
Shivam Kaushik, Founder of Glii
Shivam is upbeat, and so is his idea; the Indian market is expanding in exciting ways, and we at mad4india are glad about it. Finally, we have an Indian dating app that accepts us all in all the shades of hair and hearts we wear.
I am downloading Glii app from the play store, you may too, explore the Glee with Glii. Stay in touch with the community through the Website & Instagram page Glii.
If you loved this story, read a story about Top 5 young environmental activists of India that are making a positive impact on climate change
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finally an article on lgbtq