The Indian society is witnessing strong winds of cultural change which is fast affecting the powerful and crucial areas of society like marriage and moral and ethical values. Concepts like economic equality, emancipation and money power has had a strong impact on urban Indian society. Some of the most obvious cultural conflict at familial and social level has arisen out of the cultural predicament created by this cultural shift at work in contemporary urban India.

The cultural changes in urban India are also in a lot of ways by-products of rapid urbanization and globalisation which has spawned different types of attitudes which are a mix of the modern as well as the traditional.

The emerging urban culture do in a sizeable part partake of age-old traditions, cultures and manners, moral uprightness and value systems which are an inherent part of our society but they are also reflective of the changing mores, ideals and aspirations of urban India.

People marry for different reasons, but predominantly for one or more of the following, legal, social, and economic stability, formation of a family unit, procreation and the education and nurturing of children.

The rising marital trends point out to couples who are opting for love marriage in urban areas.

The contemporary urban Indian culture reveals an ongoing cultural shift with a leaning towards modern urban notions and arrangements.

Oppressive vs. Progressive

In this milieu, the Indian society manifests itself as less ritualistic and oppressive. Through the significant times in the history of India, the women have undergone a sea-change in profile and status, creating a space for herself as the contemporary and caring woman of substance.

The new generation in Urban India does not know much of the imposition of family and society's strict norms of female decorum, of waiting to fall in love years after marriage, being miserable in the marriage, adapting to new surroundings and moulding perfectly into the new environment and pumping the partner's/husband's ego.

The new notions of marriage are not dictated by matchmaking and bride/bridegroom judging, or being married off in great splendor to someone you don't know or cannot relate to, bearing injustices as a 'compromise' and not staying together only for the sake of their children.

More choices

With the evolving world, values are changing. The focus is more on how compatible two people are with each other, rather than how compatible the society perceives them as. Hence, choices are being made and lives are being separated if two people find each other incompatible after a certain time period.

Young people are not expected to settle down as soon as they become of 'marriageable age'. The age for marriage in India is edging towards the late twenties. Men and especially women are increasingly pursuing their ambitions, and women for sure will not have themselves crushed in the dichotomy of marriage and career. .

New Sensibilities

A vast majority of young couples aim for the coveted balance in their marriages. Many couples are comfortable with the fact that the woman earns more than a man, or is academically more qualified. Work-gender division has almost vanished, though not completely fazed out from our social mindset.

Generation X' subscribes to the idea that a marriage is the union of two minds, and much above caste, religion, creed or gender issues! It is also very clear about the readiness and preparedness for commitment and the necessity of getting into a marital relationship only two individuals contemplating marriage and stuck with other priorities sort themselves out. With the dominance of nuclear families in cities, many women feel they are being asked to 'compromise' if they have to put up with their in-laws' demands.'