Chennai-based entrepreneur Madan Raj* and his techie wife Vandana Raj*, both 30 years old, are on a popular dating app — together and separately. If this is confusing, you have just been introduced to the world of ethical non-monogamy, or ENM as it is popularly called in the online dating stratosphere. The couple date other people on the app, with each other’s consent, while being transparent to the people they date. “We were high school sweethearts who got married young. We realised we wanted to explore dating other people while being committed to each other,” explains Mr. Madan.
ENM, as a concept, has been growing among married couples in the last 15 years and the pandemic turned out to be a catalyst, not only in Indian metros but also in smaller towns and tier-two cities, including Guwahati, Lucknow, and Bareilly. As the acronym suggests, ENM refers to a couple committed to each other either as primary partners or a married couple, opening their marriage/relationship to find other suitors/lovers/partners within the parameters of a mutually agreed framework, with clear rules and communication guidelines.
