No marriage, no problem: Indian apps offer couples privacy for a price

"People have a hard time accepting the idea that being in a relationship is a natural thing," said Rahul Taneja, co-founder of LuvStay, one of several apps seeking to shake up the hospitality industry with services aimed at unmarried couples.

StayUncle founder Sanchit Sethi initially planned to target business travellers with his app focusing on hourly rentals but when he began fielding enquiries from couples he realised he was targeting the wrong customer. When the app went live in 2016, hardline groups threatened to beat up Sethi and his colleagues, but"no one ever went beyond a phone call", the 30-year-old told AFP.

In one case, a hotelier signed up only to get cold feet and refuse guests at check-in, prompting Sethi to decide that he would not spend any more time trying to"convince reluctant hotels".The app currently has 800 hotels in 45 towns and cities and plans to add another 1,500 by the end of the year. And it's not shy about pursuing new customers, with a YouTube channel offering dating advice to anxious singles.

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