Breaking taboo: Carefree young consumers show soaring interest in sexual wellness products

Startups in the space now report repeat-purchase patterns like never before. At Bold Care, a Mumbai-based startup co-owned by actor Ranveer Singh, a majority of customers are making frequent repurchases, a first for the company since its inception in 2020, co-founder Rajat Jadhav told Mint.

“Our market share has gone up to 20% from just about 3-4% nearly 18 months ago. This can’t happen from just new customers but is an indication that our retention rate is very strong,” Jadhav said. Bold Care has grown 250% in the past 12 months from the previous year.

MyMuse, another Mumbai-based company selling massagers, supplements, and bedroom accessories for men and women, noted that half of its customers are loyal and come back to make another purchase, thanks to its brand positioning around approachability and trust, according to co-founder Anushka Gupta.

Once touted as private and hush-hush, topics like pleasurable experiences for consenting adults and common bedroom problems like erectile dysfunction are now openly discussed on social media, resulting in a major shift in cultural norms and encouraging more people to seek help.

“When MyMuse launched, there was far less awareness compared to other categories, making it a true-blue ocean industry. Navigating this required us to build awareness from the ground up. In essence, we had to figure out how to sell sex toys in a country afraid to say the word ‘sex’,” Gupta told Mint.

Massive opportunity

The global sexual wellness market is currently valued at $31.5 billion, with the Asia-Pacific region standing out as a significant contributor, according to a report by market intelligence firm Astute Analytica in July. India is an emerging market potentially worth $1.2 billion, with annual sales of 9 million units, driven by a burgeoning middle class and wider online retail availability, the report added.

Young companies see a massive opportunity in the growing space. Earlier this week, content creator and actor Bhuvan Bam launched a wellness startup called Peppy with co-founders Devansh Agarwal and Shyamal Gupta, aiming to break the taboo around physical intimacy.

Investors are closely observing the new trend. Intimacy brand Leezu’s raised pre-seed capital from unidentified investors in September, while MyMuse bagged $2.7 million from Saama Capital, Trifecta Capital and Cred founder Kunal Shah in January. Bold Care is said to have secured almost $3.5 million from Audacity Capital and Caratlane co-founders Mithun and Siddhartha Sacheti last month.

“There is an increased awareness about sexual wellness. As awareness increases, there is a higher demand for sexual wellness products,” said Ash Lilani, managing partner at Saama Capital. “The sexual wellness industry in India is projected to hit $2.09 billion by 2030. There couldn’t be a better time for MyMuse to be a leader in this otherwise disorganised sector. We’re sure it will be a household name in the coming years.”

Category creation

To keep the conversations going, these startups are looking at high-impact marketing techniques as key differentiators. Earlier this year, Bold Care rolled out an ad campaign with actor Ranveer Singh and adult film performer Johnny Sins, making waves across social media platforms.

“At least 90-odd million men in the country face problems like erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation. The biggest hurdle is lack of awareness. The marketing campaign allowed us to create a burst of awareness to tell people that our brand exists in the sexual wellness category and they can seek help,” Bold Care’s Jadhav said.

The campaign resulted in over 300 million impressions at the time, he added. Impressions are the number of times a piece of social media content is displayed to audiences. However, high marketing expenditure is often a major cost centre for direct-to-consumer companies, often weighing on their bottom line.

“Creating a category requires investment. This campaign was a big bet for the company. Brands need to take the risk. Once a brand reaches a leadership position, it will see a big influx in organic revenue,” Jadhav said.

MyMuse’s marketing expenditure in FY24 was strategic and tied closely to demand, according to co-founder Gupta.

“While we don’t disclose specifics, our investments are dynamic, ensuring we allocate resources to the channels that drive growth, visibility, and education most effectively.”

The company will continue to prioritise marketing efforts that not only spur growth but also challenge taboos, build trust, and normalise conversations around the category, Gupta added.

Quick commerce effect

Another major boost for the category comes from quick commerce platforms such as Zomato-owned Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto. Demand for MyMuse’s massagers on Blinkit alone has grown 10-fold in recent months, reiterating the nature of the brand defined by speed, convenience and discretion, Gupta noted.

A recent report by e-commerce-focused technology provider 1digitalstack.ai analysing Blinkit trends found that Bold Care and Manforce were the among the top three brands by value in the sexual wellness category in November 2024. MyMuse and Azah led the massager toys and games segment with a 27% share by revenue during the period.

“Today, we serve over 450 pin codes across more than 15 cities via quick commerce channels. Notably, during Singles’ Day, MyMuse became the first-ever sexual wellness brand to feature on Blinkit’s homepage, marking a major step forward in mainstream visibility for the category,” Gupta noted.

MyMuse foresees immense potential for quick commerce to account for a significant share of its growth in 2025. The company plans to deepen its partnerships and expand to more cities, Gupta added.