DELHI — The growth of India’s burgeoning pleasure products sector is the subject of an in-depth feature published by India’s CNBC affiliate on Monday.
The report by Aditi Sharma notes that “India’s pleasure economy is seeing a steady addition of brands, from startups to established pharma companies, and increasingly the spotlight is on reducing the prevalent pleasure gap for women.”
Sharma points out that although outsiders may think of India as the country that birthed the Kama Sutra, many contemporary Indians still feel awkward around frank discussions of sex and pleasure, particularly women’s personal pleasure.
When Netflix streamed a short film by Karan Johar focusing on female pleasure, as part of the network’s “Lust Stories and the Pleasure Economy in India,” however, Sharma noticed a turning point.
“The urban, educated, independent Indian woman may well be standing in stark contrast to the coy desi woman trope,” Sharma writes. “Unlike in most western countries where one can walk right into an adult store and take your pick, here at home, the choices are relatively limited, even for those who know what to look for. A majority of Indians are yet to be introduced to the concept of pleasure toys.”
The article highlights local sex-positive initiatives such as filmmaker Paromita Vohra’s website Agents of Ishq, “The Sex Podcast” by popular influencer Leeza Mangaldas and the increased visibility of pleasure product retailers IMBesharam, Love Treats, MyMuse and MsChief.
Raj Armani, founder of IMBesharam, told CNBC, “Post-pandemic, we noticed a major shift in acceptance and perceptions. Starting from movies and shows on TV, we were introduced to vibrators and it was OK for a housewife to want to try pleasure gadgets, for wedding gifts to include sex toys and for various celebrities and artistes to talk about their sexuality and preferences when it comes to sex toys.”
IMBesharam, Sharma reports, “has seen traffic grow by 30%, user base increase over 35% and revenues grow 110% over the last 2 years.”
“Currently, we have 58% revenue from sex toys for women and 42% from men,” Armani explained. “In February 2023, we clocked the highest revenues for a single month surpassing over Rs 3 crore and delivering over 4,200 orders. Bengaluru is the top city in terms of sales, with Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai a close second, third and fourth. Metros make up 62% of our revenue, and 36% revenue comes from Tier 2, 3, and 4 cities and towns.”
To read “Pleasure economy — Sex, toys and the million-buck feeling,” visit CNBCTV18.com.
