An Indian man is going viral for selling orgasms, yes you heard it right! Ritesh D Ritelin, a Goa-based entrepreneur and the founder of Manzuri, has an interesting way of describing his job: “I sell orgasms for a living.”
Ritelin runs Manzuri, a wellness startup focused on selling pleasure products to women. His mission is to challenge one of the biggest taboos in India—sex. However, he often has to describe his company in a roundabout way due to societal norms.
“When we started in 2019-2020, there was no player in the market where women could go and find a trustworthy and reliable source to purchase sex toys from,” shared this on an episode of the 1 per cent Club with finance influencer Sharan Hegde.
“So I have to call it a wellness startup and not a sex toy company because the Indian government does not acknowledge the existence of sex toys. Like, maybe a decade behind when it comes to pleasure tech,” Ritelin explained.
Despite the challenges, Ritelin has built a successful business with Manzuri, which means “consent” in Hindi.
In the 1% Club interview, he also shared some details about his finances. His liquid net worth is around ₹1.5 crore, while his non-liquid assets are valued between ₹8.5 to ₹9.5 crore.
Ritelin mentioned that he owns a 70 per cent stake in Manzuri, which is valued at ₹12 crore. His total net worth falls between ₹10 to ₹12 crore.
In another Instagram video, Ritelin revealed that he spends approximately ₹40 lakh a year. He is also the founder and CEO of Porcellia, a D2C wellness company.
On his LinkedIn profile, Ritelin states that with Manzuri, he aims to “democratize pleasure and destigmatize sex.”
“Do you know what the orgasm gap is, and how closely related it is to issues such as the gender pay gap, underrepresentation, and patriarchy in a society? These are the kind of problems that Manzuri will be trying to solve in the coming years,” he explained.
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What is Indian-audience’s take on ‘female orgasms’?
Bollywood has seen its share of controversies when it comes to the depiction of women’s sexuality, particularly orgasms, on screen. Films like Lust Stories (2018), Lipstick Under My Burkha (2017), and Veere Di Wedding (2018) have sparked debates about their bold portrayal of female desire.
In Veere Di Wedding, Swara Bhaskar’s character masturbates using a vibrator, which led to significant backlash. This scene was a groundbreaking moment in Indian cinema, as it portrayed a woman openly seeking pleasure, challenging societal norms that often restrict women’s sexual expression.
Despite the criticism, Bhaskar defended the scene, stating it was essential to represent real-life issues women face, including their right to sexual pleasure.
These films have been praised for pushing boundaries and sparking conversations about female sexuality in a conservative society, but they also faced criticism and censorship attempts. The controversy highlights the ongoing struggle in Bollywood to portray women’s desires authentically, reflecting the broader societal discomfort with female sexual agency.
