India is the country which gave the world Kamasutra, the guide to love, sex and lust, yet the word sex has always been a taboo in the country. Over a decade, the introvert behavior towards sex has evolved because of the awareness of sex education at the school level itself. Parents are also openly discussing this recreational course with their children at the initial level. With all the awareness and acceptance it has emerged as an industry all together.

The sexual wellness industry is a multi-billion dollar industry globally and is expected to reach 52 billion by 2020. In 2013, when the Indian sexual wellness industry started gaining visibility, the market was worth only $213 million. It estimates the current market size of the category in India to be around at $450 million.

The recreational element of this basic human instinct has got a bit of a push with courageous entrepreneurs launching e-stores for sex toys and wellness products that promise better intimacy life. In the last couple of years, this industry has not only grown in market size but also in product categories. Today it includes not only basic products like condoms, lubricants, gels etc but also cater to erotic products like edible lingerie, massage oils, couple games and so on. The couples are accepting the concept of healthier sexual lifestyle and also embracing the interesting role play products and costumes, board games, bondage, etc.

Sexual wellness industry in India is estimated to be at$450 million, with several online e-commerce sites selling adult products tapping into a market which promises ‘exponential’ potential.  Driving the surge in demand are consumers from across the social spectrum. While metro cities continue to dominate the scene, it is the smaller towns and cities in India that buy adult products like never before.

A research conducted by the itspleaZure found that Tier-II & III cities like Nashik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodra, Ahmadabad, Jaipur etc have the biggest basket size & witnessed the fastest growth. The demand from the tier 2 and tier 3 cities is nurturing with an average ticket size of 3000 in comparison to the metro cities with an average ticket size of 2100. The reasons of this growth in the smaller markets have several dimensions like awareness of better intimacy life, internet penetration and breaking taboo by larger section of women.

Focusing on the tier 2 markets, smaller cities from Gujarat and Maharashtra has emerged as prominent markets in India. In Gujarat, over 65% of queries are generated from small towns like Anand, Vapi, Bhavnagar and Ankleshwar. The research conducted by itspleaZure highlights that small town from Gujarat like Bhavnagar, Anand and Vapi contributes almost 12 %, 4% and 2.8% of total transactions respectively, which indicates that people in Tier 2 & 3 cities are interested in couple intimacy products but due to lack of resources and knowledge, they are not able to purchase the same. But with increasing awareness combined with digital reach, markets are growing at a very fast pace.

The another market for couple intimacy product is Maharastra, which is also one of the biggest markets for Sexual Wellness product with over 42% revenue and 35% traffic, followed by Delhi and Gujarat. The smaller cities in Maharastra are also emerging as one of the important market for this industry. Tier 2 & 3 Cities like Nashik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Solapur is contributing around 18% of total revenue. Also in smaller cities where women are coming out of their shells and are breaking the taboo, the men are still dominating the industry. They form over 75% of the traffic and almost 85% - 90% of the transactions.  Moreover, in smaller cities the men oriented market further influences the choice of the products as well.

The internet has become a destination to buy anything and everything of one’s choice and has also become a sweet spot for players in sexual wellness industry as it offers privacy. Not everyone is comfortable in purchasing the intimate products from a neighborhood. The online e-commerce platforms like itspleaZure take good care of the privacy of their customers by delivering the products in discreet packaging to ensure that no one in the entire supply chain knows who the package is from and what it contains. The company is a one stop shop for all the adult related products and for all the customers who wish to take their intimate love life to next heights.

Despite the social stigma that still surrounds the market; Indian audiences are beginning to see the sexual wellness industry as essential as other e-commerce platforms and not just something frivolous. The Co-founder of itspleaZure Divya Chauhan being an only Indian women entrepreneur in the sexual wellness industry sees the immense growth in the industry with making people more educated about the healthier intimate life.