Vegan Condom: Mankind Pharma Launches Chemical Less and Cruelty Free Rubbers

Mankind Pharma, India's leading condom seller, is making a significant stride by introducing a vegan condom devoid of harsh chemicals, with a low bioburden, and cruelty-free. This initiative aims to uphold its market dominance. The renowned condom brand, Manforce, generated a substantial moving annual turnover (MAT) of 529 crore from December 2022 to December 2023, contributing nearly a third to India's total market size of 1,755 crore.

The fourth largest pharmaceutical company in India is adopting a premium strategy to uphold its position as the leader in the rapidly expanding domestic condom market. Rajeev Juneja, the managing director and vice chairman, highlighted the company's "super aggressive approach" as the driving force behind the introduction of their latest condom brand, Manforce Epic.

Every successful formula has an expiry date. We are using Sunny Leone on one side. But Manforce is now basically for medium and small towns. For metro towns, the Manforce Epic series is here. It's the thinnest condom in the world, and the most expensive condom in the world. It's totally women centric. It's vegan; no harsh chemicals have been used," he told ET.

Juneja said that the new product differs significantly from a typical condom, highlighting that the company has dedicated efforts even to its packaging. With a user-friendly design, consumers can simply peel back the cover, eliminating the hassle of tearing open a wrapper. Drawing a comparison, he likened it to a paper buttercup. Juneja expressed deep affection for Manforce, underscoring its profound impact on the company's reputation. He added, "Manforce is closest to our heart because it has given us so much name. We are working a lot on that side." Currently, Mankind boasts a vast network of 480,000 retailers.

In terms of pricing strategy, the company has adopted a multi-tiered approach to cater to different market segments. Prices per condom range from 10 to 15 in the standard portfolio, while premium offerings are priced higher, ranging from 24 to 26. Targeting premium buyers, Manforce recently introduced a new sub-brand, Epic condoms, priced at 80 for a pack of three. 

Available data indicates that Reckitt Benckiser's Durex holds the position of the second-largest condom brand, capturing a 5.7% volume share. Overall, the condom market experienced a significant growth of 12.5% in moving annual turnover (MAT) till December 2023. Mankind Pharma attributes much of Manforce's sales increase to rural markets, where it gained a notable 1.6% in value share.