Divya Agarwal
New Delhi [India], February 14: Infiheal, an IIT Bombay mental health startup, has launched DuoChat, described as the world’s first AI relationship coach designed to help two people communicate together in real time and build stronger relationships.
The product was introduced at the official pre-summit hosted by Infiheal and IGAP leading up to the India AI Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where senior leaders from major technology firms, public policy institutions, healthcare systems, international organizations, academic research centers, and regulatory authorities gathered to shape the future of responsible artificial intelligence.
DuoChat’s release comes just ahead of Valentine’s Day, a time when conversations around love, compatibility, emotional connection, and relationship health naturally take center stage. While the season often focuses on celebration, mental health experts note that it also highlights communication gaps and unresolved tensions in partnerships — making early-stage support tools particularly relevant.
Over the past decade, digital mental health tools have largely focused on individuals — offering support for anxiety management, emotional regulation, and personal resilience. However, research increasingly underscores that emotional well-being is deeply relational.
A 2023 survey by the American Psychological Association found that nearly 60 percent of adults reported significant stress linked to friendships, family dynamics, or workplace communication — stressors that directly affect relationship quality.
Despite this awareness, relationship support often remains reactive. Couples therapy is frequently sought only during crises, and access barriers — including cost, stigma, and long waitlists — can delay intervention. Many individuals attempt to resolve conflict independently, without a shared framework for constructive dialogue.
Building a Shared AI-Facilitated Space
Infiheal previously launched Healo, an AI mental health companion offering guided emotional support and therapist matching. Within just over a year, Healo grew to more than one million users, with 91 percent reporting improvement in how they felt after using the platform.
During that expansion, the team observed a consistent pattern: a majority of user conversations centered on relationships — romantic, familial, and social. Users frequently uploaded screenshots of difficult exchanges, asking the AI to interpret tone and intent. While this offered individual clarity, it did not address the relational dynamic itself.
DuoChat was built to bridge that gap.
The platform creates a private, confidential chat environment where two participants engage simultaneously. The AI functions as a facilitator — not a replacement for communication. It introduces structured prompts, reflection cues, and perspective-building interventions designed to reduce defensiveness, prevent escalation, and clarify misinterpretations. Drawing from established relationship science and evidence-based therapeutic frameworks, the system intervenes selectively — primarily when conversations become heated or when guided reflection may restore empathy and understanding.
Early-Stage, Preventative Support
Globally, demand for counseling continues to outpace supply, leaving many couples and families waiting weeks or months for professional support. During these gaps, emotional distance can deepen.
DuoChat positions itself as early-stage support — not therapy, but a preventative tool aimed at encouraging healthier dialogue before disconnection becomes entrenched.
“We’ve built AI platforms to optimize productivity, entertainment, and even shopping. But we haven’t focused enough on leveraging AI to help people understand each other,” said Srishti Srivastava, Founder and CEO of Infiheal. “DuoChat is our attempt to shift AI toward strengthening human relationships, not replacing them.”
India-Led Innovation in Mental Health AI
Founded by Srishti Srivastava and Utkarsh Srivastava, Infiheal develops clinically validated AI models for mental healthcare within responsible AI frameworks, emphasizing safety and trust. The company has been recognized by Narendra Modi, in Mann Ki Baat and has showcased its work at global platforms such as the World Economic Forum in Davos.
With DuoChat launching around Valentine’s Day, the startup expands its mission to make mental health support accessible, affordable, and stigma-free — while reframing AI not just as a tool for individual optimization, but as a bridge for stronger human connection.
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