Pleasure Unleashed: Exploring India’s Uplifting Sextech Revolution

From its Kama Sutra roots to cutting-edge sex toys, Indian innovators are redefining intimacy

Down with shame and up with pleasure! India’s love affair with the sex toy industry continues to expand, thanks to the proliferation of online vendors and a fresh new attitude toward sexual intimacy and health.

According to a recent Mint article, “a quiet revolution is underway, challenging deep-rooted cultural norms and ushering in an era of greater sexual awareness and acceptance, led by women entrepreneurs who are taking charge of sex-tech in India.”

Mint highlights the impact and influence of Leeza Mangaldas, a sports reporter, podcaster, sex educator, and author of The Sex Book: A Joyful Journey of Self-Discovery.

She is also the entrepreneur behind Leezu’s, a website offering a variety of sexy products, such as Love Jelly water based lube; the Pyaari clitoral stimulator with suction and a two vibrating arms to position above and below the clitoris; and for penis-endowed, the Toofaan stroker. Leezu’s also offers a sexual pleasure and wellness blog.

Leezu’s customers are remarkably enthusiastic, like the Toofaan customer who posted, “it blew my mind” while a Pyaari customer said, “It’s driven me to tears, happy joyful tears, the release!”

Leeza Mangaldas states on her website, “What I’m most passionate about is dismantling shame, and celebrating positive experiences!” Considering the frank admissions of her customers, she’s clearly succeeding.

A burgeoning marketplace

Leezu–which is woman-owned–is not the only Indian sextech site. A quick search yields thirty-nine Indian sex-tech websites—before bumping into an Amazon link—but there are far more than that located in the country. And most businesses, if not all, seem to have been established within the last twelve years. Quite a few are very women-friendly and many feature LGBT product categories and BDSM-related products.

A top site is Besharam, whose motto is #PlayMoreShameLess.

MyMuse, billing itself as “India’s first luxury intimate wellness brand,” also has video testimonials from customers commenting “this has been a year of radical self-love,” and “whoa, whoa, whoa!”

AdultsKart offers adult sex education and sexual health blogs as well as a range of sexual health and pleasure products.

Kaamastra advertises a discreet, lipstick-shaped vibrator with the tagline “Bridal Bliss Secret,” linking its products to the nation’s prosperous wedding industry. Kaamastra sells an extensive selection of toys, Ayurvedic sexual medicines, BDSM products, games for couples, and provocative clothing for all genders.

Kaamastra also provides a fascinating overview of the consumption of sextech/sex toys in India such as: Mumbai’s fondness for men’s lingerie and men’s sex toys; Delhi as the “biggest consumer of adult toys and accessories;” Bangalore customers show a marked interest in BDSM; and Kolkata customers enjoys edible underwear.

India’s sex and pleasure-positive past

The Kama Sutra, written in Sanskrit over 2,000 years ago, was not just a book of sexual positions but a complete guide to erotic and emotional love. It was translated into English by Richard Burton though his translation distorted and commodified the content to suit Victorian standards.

Adult Products India, established in 2010, also references the Kama Sutra in a lengthy discussion of sexual expression and sex toys in India, past and present, commenting in part on India’s history as a colony of the British Empire from 1858-1947:

“For so long, India watched the westernized world reach sexual maturity. Through film, television, and even music, we sat by as the world around us changed. Embracing their bodies, individuality, and sexual prowess, the countries that had so deeply shaped our history have left us behind for our future.”

Clearly remnants of colonized repression, social shame, religious restrictions, and the legal system have had an impact on the late blooming of India’s sextech marketplace. Many customers are still not sure if it’s okay to purchase and use sex toys.

Are sex toys legal in India?

Several Indian sextech vendors have taken steps to reassure customers who might be concerned of running afoul of India’s strict obscenity laws.

According to a 2018 article in Pleaders, sex toys used to be part of a grey market, and as such were only sold by street vendors. That changed in 2011 when the Calcutta High Court ruled obscenity laws cannot be applied to sex toys.

The MyMuse FAQ reassures worried customers:

“The Indian Constitution grants citizens the right to privacy within their own space, and therefore the usage of bedroom essentials within your own bedroom doesn’t break any laws. All our products are procured legally and have been registered where necessary.”

A perspective echoed by Bresharum:

“It is completely legal to buy sex toys in India as long as you are buying it ONLINE, and we have been selling them since 2013. In fact now even the marketplaces like SnapDeal, Flipkart, Blinkit and Zepto have caught up. Very soon you will be able to buy them at local departmental stores, airport shops and even your neighborhood medical store.”

There’s more to India’s sexual revolution than sextech

There are other pioneers and pioneering efforts that have brought India into a more pleasure-filled present and future.

For example, Shakun Sethi was an early pioneer, creating Tickle.Life in 2019–designed to be a vibrant and outspoken adult, sex-positive education site.

In the beginning, Shakun recruited numerous American and other English speaking sexperts, including myself and M.Christian, to create content specifically for female-identified persons in India.

But Tickle.Life, as a sexual health website, struggled for acceptance by banks and payment vendors, which jeopardized the financial prospects of the company. Shakun realized other high risk and highly regulated businesses were having similar problems. This led Shakun and her partners to switch focus “to champion the cause of underserved high-risk industries, providing them with the tools and support necessary to thrive in a challenging financial landscape.” Shakun and her team created TickleCharge, as a payment service for similar businesses, including adult entertainment.

I wondered how many of India’s sextech websites rely upon TickleCharge for payment services. I attempted to contact Shakun Sethi while writing this article but have not received a response .

Another pioneering effort is SnehAI, a sexual education and reproductive health site focusing on Indian youth. Its AI chatbot engages in thousands of conversations per day via Facebook messenger, providing essential sexual health information and emotional support.

Thanks to these and other entrepreneurs and innovations, hundreds of thousands—if not millions—more people in India are having pleasurable and orgasmic experiences. We can only hope India’s current sexual revolution continues. More of this—everywhere—please!
Images: A.R. Marsh using Ideogram.ai