Female entrepreneurs, content creators, and consumers are at the forefront of India’s sex toy boom. But how can brands further this sexual revolution? And how can they bridge the gap between India’s sex-averse culture and demands from younger generations for a more liberated stance?
Leeza Mangaldas is an Indian-born sexuality educator, pleasure-positive influencer, author of The Sex Book, and founder of Leezus – a personal care and intimacy brand. With a significant Instagram following, she is on a mission to normalise conversations around personal pleasure and encourage her readers, customers, and followers to explore their sexuality unapologetically. Championed as one of the front-runners of the Indian Sexual Revolution, she has won several awards for her work and has been featured in publications like Vogue, The Guardian, YourStory, SheThePeople, and The Times.
Raj Armani is the co-founder and COO of IMBesharam, an adult toys website and sexual wellness brand. With a tongue-in-cheek approach, the brand aims to be the voice of millions of Indian consumers who are itching to explore their sexuality and pleasure but are too afraid to do so. Striving to democratise sex and pleasure, Armani is committed to producing and manufacturing all his products in India. He has been featured in several newspapers like The Hindu, India Today, The Economic Times, MoneyControl, and The Asian Age.
Anushka Gupta is the co-founder of MyMuse, India’s first homegrown bedroom essentials brand. Dedicated to making sex easy, approachable, and fun, the brand is leading the way to make sexual products mainstream in Indian households. With an intention to not only enhance personal pleasure, MyMuse wants to improve intimacy and strengthen romantic relationships through their bedroom products. Gupta has been named as one of the 100 Emerging Women Leaders of India and has been featured in press articles ranging from GQ to The Telegraph.
Ahaana Khosla is a trend forecaster, cultural strategist, writer, and editor with a background in fashion and lifestyle journalism. She writes about changing consumer behaviours, emerging trends, and social signals, and has worked and consulted with a range of start-ups, magazines, and global fashion and lifestyle brands. With a customer-centric mindset and a social and anthropological lens, her forte lies in helping her clients spot nascent trends to make sense of them in a commercial context. As a freelance writer and editor, she has written for titles such as Vogue India and Harper's Bazaar.