Feeling lonely even in a crowd? Mental health expert explains why loneliness is rising in India and how to reconnect

% of urban Indians experience loneliness occasionally, and 1 in 6 experience regular loneliness.

India's Longitudinal Aging Study found 20.5% moderate loneliness and 13% severe loneliness among adults aged 45+ across 35 states.

Migration for work leads to living alone or with strangers, reducing connections with neighbours, cousins, and old friends.

Online visibility does not equal genuine connection; people feel invisible in their own social networks despite constant posting.

Cultural silence around loneliness, especially for men, makes it harder to admit and address, with no social acceptance or language for it.