When pleasure meets business
A look at India’s burgeoning sex toy industry
Sex in the land of Kama Sutra remains a taboo to date, despite many strides in the right direction. In a country of approximately 1.42 billion, sex isn’t a topic that often comes up at dinner tables, though – given the numbers – many seem to be going at it just fine.
For many years now, most of the country has been cringing when discussions about copulation are brought up, almost to the point that it has become a moralistic hurdle to even think aloud, forget exploring avenues of physical pleasure. But now a bold new India is bucking the trend and embracing sex toys with arms, and legs, wide open.
Back to the future
India’s views towards sex changed from ancient times to post-colonization—a result of prolonged interaction with Victorian Puritanism—and so did the country’s views towards sex toys.
Vatsyayana’s Kama Sutra, believed to be written between 400 BCE and 300 CE, throws a very different light on the use and acceptance of sex toys in ancient Indian society.
Part seven of the text—'Aupanishadika, secret love, extraneous stimulation and sexual power'—mentions the use of apadravyas or apparatus to ‘excite a woman’.
"Alternatively, he may make use of certain Apadravyas, phallus-shaped artificial mem-brae, pierced only at the top, to be put on or around the lingam supplementing its length and its thickness, so as to fit into the yoni. In the opinion of Babhravya, these Apadravyas should be made of gold, silver, copper, iron, ivory, buffalo's horn, various kinds of wood, tin or lead, and should be soft, cool, provocative of sexual vigour, and well fitted like a ring or a glove to serve the intended purpose and capable of standing vigorous action on account of its excitement-evoking nature. Vatsyayana, however, says that they may be made according to the natural liking of each individual." ~ Kama Sutra, Book VII
The text goes on to detail different types of apadravyas, and other phallic aids. Today, they’re better known as penis implants and strap-ons.
Toying with toys
Despite India’s past magnanimity in accepting sex toys, the sexual wellness industry, and by extension the sex toy market, had been operating away from the spotlight until very recently. This hasn’t always resulted in a good experience for customers.
Vishnu, a father and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community for the past 25 years, told DH what buying a sex toy used to be like earlier.
Recounting his experiences in Delhi’s Palika Bazaar, the 57-year-old noted how there were many sex toy stores there at the time. Once the shopkeepers identified members of the community, they would call them and furtively display the products, but behind shuttered doors.
Online purchase is better, Vishnu confirmed, explaining how many in the LGBTQIA+ community might not be ‘comfortable’ going to a physical store and buying sex toys.
In India, brick-and-mortar sex toy stores have not had a good record historically either.
Goa’s Calangute saw the country’s first sex store open on February 14, 2021, and it was shuttered a month later. Even as the panchayat said it was due to the lack of a trade licence, the sarpanch made it clear they did not want to allow "such activities".
What does the law say?
While there is no law per se that bans sex toys in India, it is a mix of morals and legal grey areas that has thus far kept the industry firmly away from the public eye.
Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code states the sale, hire, distribution, public exhibition or circulation, making, production or possession of "a book, pamphlet, paper, writing, drawing, painting, representation, figure or any other object” will be deemed obscene “if it is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest or if its effect, or (where it comprises two or more distinct items) the effect of any one of its items, is, if taken as a whole, such as to tend to deprave and corrupt person, who are likely, having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it."
Punishment for first-time offenders is imprisonment for up to two years, while repeat offenders can be put behind bars for up to five years. The punishment extends to those importing, exporting or conveying any obscene object. Section 11 subsection 2(u) of the Customs Act, 1962 also prevents the import of sex toys in India as noted in an RTI.
While the interpretation of the word ‘obscene’ remains open to debate, Indian laws are clear on the fact that sex toys resembling human parts cannot be sold.
Despite the roadblocks, Indians have whetted their appetite for sex toys, as a 2020 report curated by ThatsPersonal.com showed that the sale of said items had risen by 65 per cent in India since the first lockdown.
With no exact law to regulate the sale of sex toys in India, buyers are increasingly turning to online portals to fulfil their desires, and why not?
To buy or not to buy
As Publius Ovidius Naso rightly said, "There is no such thing as pure pleasure; some anxiety always goes with it."
While we can’t be certain that Ovid was talking about sex toys back in 43 BC, the Roman poet’s words appear to hold true for many Indians who have struggled over the years with the procurement of sex toys as they came with shades of anxiety and trepidation.
A 28-year-old journalist from Bengaluru shared an experience that she now recalls as a "fun party story"—
"My partner at the time and I were dipping our toes into a long distance relationship and we decided to spice things up with sex toys. He gifted me a pretty standard vibrator from Amazon. It’s pretty easy shopping for sex toys to please a woman than ones for a man. I decided to go the extra mile and chose a sex toy for him from a UK website. A week later, he received something in the mail - it wasn’t a sex toy. It was a show-cause notice asking him to appear before a court in Mumbai and pay a fine of Rs 5,000 because I had inadvertently purchased a 'prohibited' item."
With the emergence of online sex toy sellers in India, however, the onus of going through legal loopholes has shifted to retailers, most of whom sell imported products in the Indian market, albeit with discreet packaging and often innocuous product names.
"Procurement of these toys is so much easier and there is a new sex toy company coming to the market every month. Even when I was a child there were sex toys being sold in the market but people didn’t know they were sex toys, they were sold as massagers," Yutheeka Borkar, an adult content creator on Instagram, told DH.
Hey Siri, am I lonely?
Are you lonely just because you are buying a sex toy? Certainly not! While there is a misconception that only those who are single use sex toys, there are many who use these devices to spice things up in their relationships.
A lawyer from Kolkata is of the opinion that sex toys have "significantly" helped her in getting the kind of pleasure she expects from her partner. Meghna Govind, who is in a long distance relationship, has considered using sex toys to “bridge the gap” with her partner.
When pleasuring yourself with sex toys, you may think you’re lonely, but at least you won’t have to fake a moan, and in the books of pleasure, that’s a win!
Low moans to screams: Talk
about sex toys getting louder
Has the conversation around sex toys become easier now? Certainly, hence this article. But enough to be a dinner table conversation? Perhaps not...
Adrian Anto Issac, who studied in Bengaluru and currently lives in Canada, says that even engaging in a public display of affection is frowned upon in India, let alone a conversation on sex and sex toys.
Being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, Adrian believes that "you always have to look over your shoulder when you order something online or talk about how sex works in the community".
As Adrian pointed out, many in India feel uncomfortable about having a conversation about sex and the use of sex toys. But Medha, a 23-year-old from Hyderabad, believes that this is changing with Gen Z—"I can’t say the same for millennials. I think the change in mindsets is happening more among millennials now than Gen Z, because people of my generation have never had an issue talking about it [the use of sex toys]."
The Internet is a major factor that has fuelled more discussions on the topic. Pawan, who works at a microfinance organisation in Rajasthan, took a trip down memory lane detailing how he had initially come across ads for sex toys on porn sites back in the day when surfing the net was not as easy. He was in school at the time.
Since then, Pawan’s knowledge of sex toys has improved, informed by his interactions with members of the LGBTQIA+ community during his graduation days.
Now, however, the trend is changing—Vishnu explained that with the growing ease of access to the internet and an increase in purchasing power, many from the LGBTQIA+ community are flocking to not just sex toys but also costumes and other items that augment their fantasies.
Aneez Saikia, who appeared on the Amazon Prime docu-series Rainbow Rishta, told DH that her journey with sex toys began two years back, after hearing of them first on the internet.
"It was very hard to find sex toys online back then, there were limited stocks and also limited companies that were selling it but now it has been easier to obtain one online, as a lot of new companies have been showing interest in selling sex toys. But I still think it is hard to find any kind of sex toys physically on stores, or there are any specific store for people to get them offline (specifically in my city)," the LGBTQIA+ activist from Assam said.
For the body,
mind, and soul
Only someone who hasn't had a good orgasm can restrict its power to just being physical. Apart from the dopamine and oxytocin that increases the feeling of happiness in an individual, a good orgasm can also be emotionally empowering.
Yutheeka, who had been a victim of sexual assault in her past relationship, believes sex toys completely transformed her relationship with pleasure:
"Using the toy got me into my body and I cannot explain how much change has happened and how much I have grown and I absolutely love it. I am giving a lot of credit to sex toys but it is also me that I am giving the credit to for believing and accepting that I deserve pleasure," she said.
Overall, several people DH spoke to said that sex toys have made pleasure accessible, like 31-year-old Rini from Delhi, who believes that such products do away with the feeling that "your access to pleasure needs another person's involvement or approval".
"It has increased my sense of agency overall," Rini added.
Pride and pleasure
For the LGBTQIA+ community, turning to sex toys also stems from various hurdles they face in their sexual lives due to social stigmas.
"Trust is an issue. Sometimes lack of partners, not getting genuine partners, not having partners with whom they want to fulfil their desires and experiment is driving members of the community towards sex toys", said Vishnu, who also spent some time as a sex worker.
Aishwarya Reddy, a trans woman who runs a salon and spa in Bengaluru, recalled how she first started using sex toys out of curiosity. After her sex reassignment surgery, she turned to a dildo for pleasure.
Speaking to DH, Aishwarya said that sex toys offer an avenue for pleasure even when one does not have a partner, and expressed happiness at the slow but steady cultural shift taking place in India, where discussions surrounding sex and pleasure are seeping into the mainstream.
A 29-year-old Bengaluru-based HR professional who has been a part of the queer community since she was 16 explained how sex toys helped her understand her body better. "I have been able to orgasm using sex toys, and that is something I was struggling with during regular sex," the person, who did not wish to be named, told DH.
Still some ways to go...
Even though it is easier today to buy sex toys in India, there is still a long way to go.
Deeksha Verender, 25, who currently lives in the UK feels that the sex toy market there is "a lot more open with their marketing and sex toys are a lot more accessible than in India."
"You can walk into a lingerie shop or an adult store in the middle of town without feeling like you're doing something dirty," she said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Adrian too said that access to sex toys is easier in Canada where even when you go to a brick-and-mortar store, people are much more comfortable talking about what a toy does and how different toys can be used safely.
Heading towards a climax
As many of our respondents’ answers suggested, the sex toy market in India has indeed become more visible and accessible, and if accounts are to be believed, the industry appears to be headed towards a climax.
While concrete data about the sex toy market, a subset of the larger sexual wellness industry, is difficult to come by, estimates still show a lot of promise.
The sexual wellness industry in India is pegged at an impressive $1.5-$2 billion even by conservative estimates, and the sex toy market within it accounts for over $112 million at present. Further, with a CAGR of over 15 per cent, the sex toy market in India is also slated to hit $200 million (approx. Rs 1,600 crore) within the next few years, something that points towards a relatively quick explosion of demand in this segment, especially given the taboo nature of the subject.
Another notable aspect perhaps is that the projected growth of the market in India is considerably more than the projected growth of the overall global market, which has a CAGR of around 9 per cent according to domestic industry leaders DH spoke to.
IMbesharam, one of the oldest brands in the space and the leader within the organised sex toy market in India, highlighted the massive potential of the domestic market, calling its current, fledgling morph "an untapped opportunity with a growth potential ranging from 1 per cent to an astonishing 100 per cent".
"Mind you, the growth opportunity of this size exists only in this one category across the expansive spectrum of consumer goods in India," the sex toys retailer added, emphasising that the market is only going to get…erm…bigger.
‘Let’s talk about sex’
Although the sex toy market is not particularly new in India, there is certainly an emergence of a visible, organised segment within the market. Earlier, a bit of naughty curiosity would lead many to the seedy underbellies of Indian cities. Now, one can kink shop from the safety and comfort of their homes. And it all started with talking about sex.
Notable brands that DH spoke to pointed out that this visible market for sex toys emerged over the past few years, despite players like IMbesharam entering the space as long as a decade back.
Of course, it wasn’t always a straightforward journey: for instance, IMbesharam started out with a mission to normalise sexual pleasure but had a relatively slow start, with business picking up a bit in 2016 before dropping again. Then came 2020.
"2020 threw us a curveball, like it did for the rest of the world, with three months of zero sales and revenue… But, we were determined to make the best of this phase, improved our processes, and conducted India’s largest sex survey in that year. As markets reopened, our efforts paid off and our sales picked up to mark an 80 per cent increase from the previous year. Indians had chosen ‘bindass besharami’ over ‘shackles of sharam’. We haven’t looked back from there." ~ Raj Armani, co-founder and CEO, IMbesharam
While it has been a long road for IMbesharam, other brands in the space—MyMuse, Sangya Project, Manzuri, That Sassy Thing, and Peppy For All to name some—have cropped up fairly recently, and all of them appear to be driven by a mission to impart knowledge about, support, and promote sexual pleasure and wellness while stripping the subject of stigma.
MyMuse, which serves over 1.5 lakh customers across 1,000+ Indian cities, began as a start-up creating inclusive sex toys that catered “to individuals, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, or relationship status”, explained co-founder Anushka Gupta, adding that they have a parallel focus on approachable, trustworthy, and well-researched sexual wellness content catered for Indians, manifested in their platform unLearn.
Similarly, Sangya Project, founded by a queer and poly family, provides “destigmatised, trauma-informed and kink-affirmative education” along with a vast range of products to put theory to practise. What’s more, while most sex toys sold in India are imported, a large chunk of Sangya’s wares are made indigenously—”At the moment Sangya continues to be the only manufacturer of a personal massager in India. In terms of the manufacturing capabilities, we have a long way to go before we can catch up to countries like China… [but] we intend to add more personal massagers to the range of products to be manufactured in India and have the R&D currently going on for the same,” Shweta Sangtani, co-founder & CEO, told DH.
"Brands like ours are growing at 400 per cent YoY and we’re literally defining the category here... Since the entire narrative around how sexual wellness is changing, we’re getting way larger acceptance amongst people," said Sachee Malhotra, founder & CEO of That Sassy Thing.
Another new player, Manzuri, started off as an Instagram page raising awareness about female pleasure and sexual wellness in general—”We never anticipated we’d be selling all these products…,” Aastha Vohra, co-founder, told DH, adding that the decision to go into retailing was born out of a realisation that there was a “huge dearth of information” about female pleasure and the procurement and use of sex toys. “That is when we started thinking about the website, listing products… and the rest is history,” she added.
These newer entrants to the sex toy market have already started making their mark, amid a growing awareness about sexual wellness and the emergence of a sex-positive attitude in a country that, for long, kept what happened between the sheets well away from the bustle of the streets.
'Dirty deeds' done dirt-cheap...
and discreetly
With more companies coming into the fray, the online sex toy market in India now caters to people of all budgets, with products starting from as low as Rs 500 and going up to tens of thousands of rupees. Most of these products that are sold online also offer discreet packaging, so as to not raise any eyebrows.
To the moan and back—
AI in sex toys and the
future of the industry
Amid the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) tech globally, sex toy manufacturers in various parts of the world have started research into the potential integration of AI and VR with their products.
But, India is not ready for that yet.
Major players in the market that DH spoke to said that the market in India, despite its strong growth, is headed towards adolescence at best and that it would have to mature further before experimental technology can make it into bedrooms.
While there’s some nascent research into potential applications of AI and VR in sex tech in India, we’re still a long way from a Westworld or Blade Runner-esque reality.
Speaking of sex robots, companies that DH contacted pointed out logistical and legal difficulties with regard to the manufacture and sale of these products in India, in addition to questions about their acceptance among users.
"People are only just coming to terms with the idea of speaking about sexuality openly and exploring it. Robots will happen but there are a bunch of steps from here to there," Shweta Sangtani of Sangya said.
Some also expressed ethical and moral concerns regarding the objectification of women—"As someone who has scaled a brand in the segment and a passionate feminist, I don’t think sex robots is the way forward because not only does it imitate a human and mimic human ways of gaining pleasure, it is offensive at the end of the day," said Aastha Vohra of Manzuri.
What about sex games?
Although experimental sex tech is yet to make inroads into the Indian market, some sex toy retailers offer more traditional modes of enjoyment—games. From card games suited for that first date, to games for couples in various stages of relationships, retailers like MyMuse and Sangya Project think that sex games are the perfect way to compliment their other products, or to merely spice up a night.
Pawan, for instance, opined that sex games open up opportunities for frank discussions on the subject which might otherwise not be possible among heterosexual members of the same gender.
So, where do we go from here?
As far as the industry as a whole is concerned, IMbesharam believes that the "future trajectory of the industry mirrors the makeup and beauty sector, necessitating both horizontal expansion and vertical outreach. This will include introducing more made-in-India, affordable products that are quicker to manufacture and easier on the wallet."
While companies seek to make experiences more pleasurable for consumers, Vishnu, who has been using sex toys for nearly a decade, recounted how materials used have changed over the years, though his experience has mostly been restricted to items from abroad.
So, is it rubber or plastic? Vishnu expressed how a silicone-like material made it a far more pleasurable experience for him. There’s still scope for improvement, he observed, wishing to see more customisable fittings for personalised experiences.
Anushka from MyMuse chipped in, saying that while technology would keep evolving, "the intrinsic value of human connection shouldn’t diminish".
Several other companies agreed, emphasising that technology would never replace the intimacy of human connection but would surely compliment sensual experiences for those who are aware of these products and open to experimentation.
And interestingly, awareness is an area all players in the industry are focussing on. Most of the companies in the space already have dedicated platforms for sex education content curated for an Indian audience, and it is likely that the growth of the industry will be accompanied by a parallel explosion in ever-more-visible sex ed content and forums facilitating discussions on the same.
Echoing the feelings of most industry players, Pawan said there’s an urgent need for greater awareness and online forums where people can discuss the use of sex toys and the playing out of fantasies. “If I’m with three or four guys, and they don’t have the same mindset, I’d be really shy in front of them,” he admitted, while expressing enthusiasm to join a forum if any company chose to open one. And we bet he isn’t the only one.
Over our many interactions with stakeholders, it has become abundantly clear that when it comes to experimenting with pleasure, Indians are poised and quivering. All they need is the right touch.
And why not? As Cole Porter rightly crooned, "Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it..."
Written by: Riddhi Kaushik, Shiladitya Ray, Shuvrajit Biswas, Sayak Basu
Art direction and illustrations by: Deepak Harichandan
Photos by: iStock; Ministry of Culture, Govt of India; AI art/Canva
Concept by: Pulkit Gupta
Production by: Shiladitya Ray, Shuvrajit Biswas, Sayak Basu
(We’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to reach out to us on webdesk@deccanherald.co.in with comments and suggestions.)