In recent years, India’s sexual wellness industry has undergone a quiet revolution, one largely fueled by the rise of digital media and the surge in online shopping. The traditional stigma that once shrouded the sale and use of pleasure products is slowly lifting, and now, with the help of quick-commerce platforms, these once-taboo items are just a tap away.
Apps like Zepto and Blinkit, initially known for delivering groceries and household essentials, have now added sexual wellness products to their ‘wellness’ sections, offering everything from lubricants to intimate devices. While Amazon offers ‘massagers’ in its general health section, the real shift is in the speed and availability. Some of India’s top pleasure brands, once confined to niche retail spaces, are now just ten minutes away from your doorstep.
Raj Armani, the founder of IMbesharam, one of India’s leading sexual wellness brands and a marketplace for makers of products for sexual pleasure , calls it a “facelift” for the industry. “Quick commerce has given the sexual wellness industry a facelift — both financially and culturally,” he says. “You can now get these products in your living room in under 10 minutes.” The arrival of quick commerce has proven to be a financial boon for brands, with revenues soaring as these products reach consumers faster than ever before. Armani believes 2024 marked the beginning of the “golden era” for the industry.
However, the road to mainstream acceptance was not always smooth. For Anushka Gupta, co-founder of MyMuse, integrating intimate wellness products into quick commerce platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart was a milestone, but it didn’t come without its hurdles. “There were significant challenges,” Gupta explains. “The taboo around sexual wellness meant that many platforms were initially hesitant to onboard pleasure products. Concerns around content guidelines, consumer perceptions, and how these products would fit within mainstream retail categories were just a few of the obstacles we faced.”
The tide began to turn in 2023 when Blinkit became the first platform to embrace sexual wellness in the quick-commerce space, setting a precedent for others. Yet the challenges didn’t end there. Issues such as proper product categorization, discoverability, and advertising restrictions within the apps continued to complicate the landscape.
The wider sexual wellness market, as a whole, has seen tremendous growth, with cultural shifts and public figures helping to normalize the conversation around pleasure. Bollywood stars like Ranveer Singh are lending their names to brands such as Boldcare, which focuses on men’s sexual wellness products. The brand recently raised $5 million in an investment round and achieved a milestone of Rs 100 crore in annual recurring revenue in December 2024. Singh’s involvement in Boldcare’s viral advertising campaigns brought mainstream attention to the category, signaling a shift in societal attitudes.
But as the industry evolves, so too do its challenges, especially in terms of regulation. Though there is no direct law prohibiting the manufacture, sale, or import of adult toys in India, the industry faces a complex web of obscenity laws. These laws, grounded in subjective cultural standards, often leave businesses and consumers in a state of uncertainty.
Holding the fort
In the heart of Mumbai’s historic Fort area, nestled amid the city’s bustling streets, a well-known but largely discreet market for ‘sex toys’ labelled as ‘massagers’ once thrived. For nearly four decades, small roadside stalls across from the Mumbai High Court sold a range of intimate products, inviting curiosity from passersby. These stalls were a testament to the quiet resilience of a market often relegated to the fringes of society.
However, when videos of these street-side sales went viral, the authorities swiftly intervened. During a visit to the area by Storyboard18, one of the retailers explained that, in response to public outcry, authorities had forced the closure of these stalls. Today, only a handful of “massagers” are left on display. The seller shared that, two years ago, they were instructed to cease openly selling these products, marking the end of an era for one of Mumbai’s best-kept open secrets.
In Goa, the country’s first sex store, opened on Valentine’s Day 2021, was shut down just a month later. The legal gray areas are compounded by Section 292(2) of the Indian Penal Code, which makes the distribution, import, and promotion of obscene objects a punishable offense. Yet, defining obscenity remains an elusive task, as what constitutes “obscene” can vary drastically.
Brands like Love Depot, an online store focused on self-pleasure products, approach this market with care. “Advertising restrictions limit our reach, and cultural sensitivity is a top priority for us,” says Arjun Siva, Business Head at Love Depot. “Mainstream platforms scrutinize everything from product names to visual representation, so we focus on organic engagement, influencer partnerships, and educational content to drive awareness.”
Armani of IMbesharam emphasizes the barriers facing the industry, from bureaucratic red tape to limited advertising avenues. “It’s a complex labyrinth to navigate,” he says. “It’s difficult to place ads in mainstream media — newspapers, billboards, TV, even on Meta or Google Ads. There’s no clear definition of what sexual wellness is under the law, and that uncertainty makes everyone in the industry feel perplexed or discouraged.”
The V-Day Mix
Valentine’s Day, a time traditionally associated with romance, has become a key sales event for sexual wellness products, with demand for pleasure devices soaring during the holiday season. “Pleasure is a year-round conversation,” says Siva, “but we do notice a significant spike in sales around Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and major shopping events like Black Friday.”
For social media influencer and sex educator Leeza Mangaldas, Valentine’s Day brings not only an uptick in sales for her brand, Leezu’s, but also more visibility for the entire category. Mangaldas believes that the broader acceptance of sexual wellness products is due, in part, to women-driven movements in the space. “Women shoppers are driving demand across all brands,” says Armani, “and women founders now lead 70% of sexual wellness companies. Women influencers are 90% of the voices normalizing sexual wellness on social media.”
Mangaldas has noticed a shift in consumer geography as well. “We’re seeing demand from places you wouldn’t expect,” she says. “We’ve received orders from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, smaller towns in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and even places like Daman & Diu.”
The growing demand isn’t limited to metropolitan areas. Gupta from MyMuse notes that 27% of their customers now come from Tier 2 and 3 cities, a sign that the market for intimate wellness is expanding far beyond urban centers. According to MyMuse’s “Laid in India” report, 40% of respondents have already used sex toys, while 53% are eager to try them, signaling a nationwide shift in attitudes.
India’s sexual wellness market is undergoing rapid transformation. Digital accessibility, the rise of quick-commerce platforms, and an influx of women-led brands are driving the sector forward. While significant hurdles remain — regulatory grey areas, advertising restrictions, and cultural stigma — India’s evolving sexual wellness market signals an increasingly open and inclusive future, one where pleasure is no longer a source of shame, but a topic of widespread acceptance.
Apart form sexual wellness products such as condoms, lubricants and the likes, Quick commerce platforms – Zepto, BlinkIt and Swiggy Instamart have begun to deliver these devices. When one types ‘massagers’, the app swiftly directs you to a page with results that show different options of these devices – for both men and women. Zepto has slightly limited options, but good ones. Blinkit on the other hand shares a wide variety of options – in terms of shapes and sizes – and the main audience remains women. Blinkit, infact, has a ‘single’ mode one can switch to on the app to show the Valentine’s gifts for self. In here, the pleasure devices are seen placed right on the homepage. Swiggy Instamart is not far behind – a name familiar with groceries and food, it also delivers pleasure devices under the term ‘massagers’. A small variety of products for men and women were seen here as well.