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Abstract Early adulthood (20–29 years) represents a pivotal developmental period characterized by identity consolidation, career establishment, relational commitments, and increasing autonomy. Within this transitional phase, many individuals report experiences commonly described as a quarter-life crisis (QLC), marked by emotional distress, uncertainty, and perceived instability. Life satisfaction, defined as a global cognitive evaluation of one’s life, constitutes a central component of subjective well-being and psychological adjustment. Despite increasing discourse on QLC, empirical investigations examining its association with life satisfaction in the Indian context remain limited.The present study examined the relationship between quarter-life crisis and life satisfaction among Indian emerging adults and tested the hypothesis that higher developmental distress would be associated with lower life satisfaction. A quantitative correlational design was employed. Data were collected through an online survey from 209 participants; following screening, the final sample comprised 193 individuals aged 20–29 years across India. Quarter-life crisis was assessed using the Developmental Crisis Questionnaire (DCQ-12), and life satisfaction was measured using the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine gender differences. Due to significant deviations from normality (Shapiro–Wilk, p < .05), Spearman’s rank-order correlation was applied.Results indicated no significant gender differences in life satisfaction, t(191) = −0.61, p = .545, or quarter-life crisis, t(191) = −1.02, p = .309. A significant moderate negative correlation was found between QLC and life satisfaction (ρ = −.499, p < .001), suggesting that greater developmental distress is associated with reduced life satisfaction. The findings provide context-specific evidence relevant to counseling psychology, educational institutions, and youth mental health policy in India, thereby contributing to the integration of developmental research with applied psychological practice.