RECESSION: Helping out business

we live in India where culture and values have been given greater weight. Talking about sex etc. is still considered to be tabboo here. But still India is growing as well as this barriers are also demolishing. Usage rate of condom in India is lower than other countries, though it is second largest producer of condom world wide producing more than 4 billion condom per year. Thailand is on first position while china is at third position producing around 3 billion condom yearly and USA is far behind India producing only 0.9 billion condom per year.

it has been find out that condoms available in the market are oversized. “As per international standards, most condoms are 150 mm to 180 mm in length and 44 to 56 mm in width. But data collected in Mumbai till 2001 showed that 60% of the participants measured 126 to 156 mm in length and 30% between 100 and 125 mm,’’.

All the number-crunching is essentially expected to improve the sizing of condoms which have a notorious failure rate of upto 20% in India. "Studies have shown that failure rate of condoms was 2% in clinical trials, but as high as 18 to 20% when studied among the general population. While improper usage is one of the reasons, there is also condom slippage or tear which is associated with the size of the condom in relation to an erect penis,".

there are many more reason why Indians do not prefer to use condoms. in 2008 recession hit the world very badly. during recession,When the everything else was falling condoms are actually rising - in sales.

Economic stress leads to dullness of body and mind which reduces the urge for sex. But the sales does not purport this theory.Parents are concerned about rising children in times like these and hence the rise of condoms.HLL competes hardly with the government in selling condoms. HLL has sold 65 million condoms last fiscal and government a 1.6 billion last year. The price of natural rubber (the main ingredient of a condom) has come down which will actually help the condom industry.