'I Sell Orgasms For A Living': This Indian Entrepreneur Is Breaking Taboos With His Start-up

In an effort to shatter the stigma around sex, Ritesh D. Ritelin founded the firm Manzuri, which offers pleasure products to women. Nevertheless, he encounters challenges in de-stigmatising discussions around sexual well-being and health. The Goa-based businessman recently admitted to financial influencer Sharan Hegde on an edition of the 1% Club, “I sell orgasms for a living." With a 70% holding in Manzuri, his estimated net worth is Rs 10 to Rs 12 crore.

The young businessman is “trying to break one of the biggest taboos in the country – sex" with Manzuri. According to what he informed Hegde when they first entered the market in 2019 or 2020, there existed virtually nobody for women to turn to when looking for a reputable supplier of sex toys.

Ritelin continued, explaining that the Indian government does not recognise the existence of sex toys, therefore he had chosen to refer to the business as a “wellness startup" rather than a “sex toy company". “Like, maybe a decade behind when it comes to pleasure tech," Ritelin stated.

Manzuri, which translates to “consent" in Hindi, has allowed the company owner to establish a prosperous enterprise. As stated by Ritelin in the 1% Club YouTube video, he also brought the firm to Shark Tank India. He disclosed his liquid net worth of Rs 1.5 crore and talked candidly about finance in the 1% Club YouTube video. His non-liquid assets, however, are estimated to be worth Rs 8.5 to Rs 9.5 crore.

As for the applicable legal framework, it is based mostly on obscenity laws, which are followed by regulations that usually govern the quality of goods and defend consumer interests. However, there is no clear legislation in India that forbids the manufacturing, importation, or sale of sex toys.

The primary issue with this structure is that the legislation’s wording is sufficiently ambiguous to allow authorities to interpret it anyway they see fit, which poses a challenge. The main problem is the lack of clarity on how sex toys are classified under the Customs Act of 1962 and Section 292 of the IPC. Businesses face ambiguity due to the subjective aspect of “obscenity," since customs officers have the authority to confiscate any sex tools they deem obscene.