Rent a Friend in India: Prices, Safety and How It Works (2026)

"Rent a friend" sounds like a joke until the third wedding of the season, when everyone at your table came with someone. Japan has had the service for years, the US has had RentAFriend.com since 2009, and India now has several options. Here is how it actually works, what it costs, and how to stay safe.

What you are paying for

You are paying for someone's time and company at a specific occasion: a wedding, a family lunch, an office party, a hospital appointment, a movie or a day out. That is all. Nothing physical is part of it, and any platform that hints otherwise is selling something else.

What it costs in India

There are two pricing models.

• Hourly, paid to one person. Independent companions typically advertise from around ₹399 an hour, with the rate rising for evenings, events and travel. You usually pay in advance over UPI.
• Platform membership, plus the companion's own rate. You join a platform, find people near you, and agree their fee directly with them. On SaathWala membership is free during launch, each companion sets their own price per occasion, and the platform takes no commission.

Whatever the model: never send an advance to someone you have not met, and never pay outside the platform you found them on.

Is it legal?

Yes, when it is platonic companionship between adults. It becomes illegal the moment anything sexual is involved, which is why serious platforms ban it outright and remove accounts that ask. Our legality guide covers the detail.

How a booking usually goes

1. Sign up and verify. Expect an ID check. On SaathWala that means a passport, driving licence, voter ID or PAN, checked by a person. We do not use Aadhaar.
2. Search by city, occasion and interests. The occasion matters more than the photo: someone who lists weddings will be comfortable at one.
3. Chat first. Agree the date, the venue, the dress code and the fee before you meet. Good platforms hide phone numbers until both sides want to share them.
4. Meet in public. A café, a mall, the venue itself. Arrange your own transport.

Eight safety rules

• Use a platform that verifies ID with a real person, not a checkbox.
• Keep the conversation on the platform until you are comfortable.
• Meet somewhere busy, in daylight if it is a first meeting.
• Tell a friend where you are going and when you will be back.
• Arrange your own travel, both ways.
• Never pay an advance, a deposit or a "registration fee" to an individual.
• Agree the end time before you start.
• Leave if anything feels wrong. You owe nobody an explanation.

Our full first-meeting checklist takes two minutes to read.

Where it is available

Most demand is in the big cities: Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Jaipur, plus wedding cities like Udaipur. See every city we cover.

Common questions

Will people know I paid for company?

Only if you tell them. Agree a simple introduction beforehand: "a friend from work" answers most questions.

Can men book?

Yes, and many do, usually for weddings and family functions.

Can I become a companion?

If you are 18 or over and can pass an ID check, yes. Listing is free.