Ramesh Srinivas is betting on making condom buying easy

Not comfortable physically purchasing condoms? Or don’t get the kind you are looking for?

Problems solved. Just go online.

While that is nothing new globally — there are zillions of websites peddling rubber — a portal dedicated to them is a novelty in India.

www.condomking.in is founded by French-domiciled Indian entrepreneur Ramesh Srinivas. It went online on November 9 after seven months of brainstorming and research.

In addition to selling multiple kinds and brands of condoms, the website has an enquiry desk that helps you figure out which best, er, fits your need.

Or, if you are in the mood for mischief, have a pack of glow condoms delivered to your friend on his birthday.

“We want to create a critical mass of informed condom users,” says Ramesh, whose firm Sugant Sas markets and distributes health-care products in Europe.

Only 0.4-0.5% of the Rs250 crore annual condom sales in India happens online while in developed markets it is 5-10%. “Within three years, we are looking to make Rs10 crore annually and account for 3% of the total sales,” notes Ramesh, who was earlier director at Ansell Healthcare, which with the Raymond group owns the Kama Sutra Condoms brand.

Asked if the social embarrassment attached to condom-buying in public in India is a reason for creating the site, he replies, “Yes, but embarrassment is something you can’t rule out even in Europe or the US, where such websites have been around for a while.”

Rest assured your order will reach your doorstep in a discreet package without giving away what is inside.

The minimum order you need to place on the site is for Rs195 of a single brand.

“Our research showed that the average online condom purchase is for Rs300,” says Ramesh. Condom King, headquartered in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, plans to take care of logistics, currently handled by its vendors, on its own in 12-18 months and bring down the delivery time from 4-7 days to 48 hours.

The choice of Madurai can be explained by the fact that it is Ramesh's hometown. “We currently have two people in customer service but we plan to have a building in Madurai with all the infrastructure we need,” says the alumnus of Vivekananda College, Chennai.

But for now, Condom King is focusing on its roadshow in the city on November 18, which will be a mix of promotion and awareness creation.