New Indian ‘sex start-ups’ challenge old tabooDespite its heritage as the land of the Kama Sutra, talking about sex is often taboo in India, but a generational shift in attitudes to intimacy is proving fertile ground for start-ups helping to spice up the bedroomAFP, MUMBAIThe couple behind a new start-up using adult toys and cheeky adverts to challenge long-held taboos say they want to take the “shame, guilt and fear” out of sex in India. Investors too are betting on this untapped market in the vast country of 1.4 billion: India’s nascent sex toys sector was valued at US$91 million by TechSci Research in 2020, and predicted to grow 16 percent annually. Benefiting from capital pouring into Indian tech start-ups during the pandemic, the firm received seed funding from venture capitalist firms. “This is a situation that’s fundamentally broken,” she said, adding that Indian women often face a culture of enforced silence around sex. Requesting anonymity, one 32-year-old professional, says of the shift in attitudes: “It’s exciting that this is finally happening in India.

Source: Taipei Times April 20, 2022 16:51 UTC