Intimate Care Economy’s Renaissance

As consumer awareness grows and taboos fade, Indian startups are expanding intimate care beyond hygiene, building trusted brands across wellness, recovery and lifestyle.

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Earlier this year, intimate care startup Ugees partnered with premium innerwear brand Krvvy. Around the same time, menstrual hygiene startup HealthFab raised ₹20 Cr from Atomic Capital. Last year, the founders of Sirona, a feminine hygiene brand, bought back the startup from Good Glamm Group.

Individually, these developments may seem unrelated, but together, they indicate that intimate care is having a renaissance moment in India.

Thus far, intimate care was viewed largely through the lens of feminine hygiene products sold through pharmacies and supermarkets. Today, the category is significantly broader.

Beyond sanitary pads and tampons, it includes period underwear, intimate washes, postpartum recovery products, baby rash-care solutions, anti-chafing products, men’s hygiene products, sexual wellness products and adult incontinence care.

According to the cofounder of Pee Safe, Rithish Kumar, sanitary pads remain the largest segment within menstrual care, while menstrual care itself continues to dominate women’s hygiene. However, as awareness grows and consumers become more comfortable discussing intimate health, adjacent categories are beginning to expand.

“Over time, these products can move beyond being purely functional purchases and become part of consumers’ lifestyle and wellness routines,” Kumar said.

“Over time, these products can move beyond being purely functional purchases and become part of consumers’ lifestyle and wellness routines,” Kumar said.

The biggest enabler of this shift has been the evolution of organised distribution. Ecommerce marketplaces and quick commerce platforms have dramatically improved access, allowing consumers to discover and purchase........

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