Unforgotten Brands: Nirodh

India faced the twin crises of extreme poverty and rapid population growth sixty years ago, in the 1960s. In 1964, the country’s population was around 470 million, expanding frighteningly.

Condom usage as a technique of birth control was also in its early stages in India. Condoms had been used in the nation since the 1940s, but they were severely understocked and difficult to get.

TTK first imported condoms from the UK. India’s first condom factory was up and running by 1963. After that, they formed a partnership with what is now Reckitt Benckiser—the London Rubber Company—to make the popular Durex and Kohinoor brands.

Even though India’s population was skyrocketing in 1968, the country’s market had only one million condoms. A nation with 470 million inhabitants has quite different demands. Prices for condoms were ₹0.25, which in 2023 was around ₹13 or 16“ USD. Costing almost as much as in the US, it was out of reach for many Indians, especially those in the lowest income bracket, where the population was expanding at a faster pace.

In light of this problem, a group of Indian Institutes of Management researchers urged the government to lower the price of condoms and increase their availability. They proposed that India should purchase condoms from abroad and sell them at a discounted price of ₹0.05, which would be one-fifth of the market price in 2023 (equal to ₹3.00 or 3.6¢ US).

In 1968, following these suggestions, India bought 400 million condoms from nations such as Korea, Japan, and the US. The packaging of these condoms was plain and simple: three per packet, labelled as “Nirodh,” The government of India began a massive effort to distribute condoms to the public in an attempt to encourage family planning and the use of contraception.

Choosing a Name

An important factor in condom adoption and use in India was its branding and name. Originally dubbed “Kamaraj” after the Indian Cupid Kamadeva, the first mass-distributed condom in India was developed in 1963. K. Kamaraj, a notable political figure at the time, was president of the governing Indian National Congress, hence the name was changed to “Nirodh” thereafter. A name meaning “protection” in Hindi, “Nirodh” was selected for this purpose.

Production

In 1966, Hindustan Latex was founded in technical cooperation with Okamoto Industries of Japan; nowadays, it is known as HLL Lifecare. In Peroorkada, Thiruvananthapuram, the first factory with a yearly capacity of 144 million condoms started producing them on April 5, 1969. The next seven years saw a doubling of output to 288 million condoms, and by 1985, a second factory had been established in Belgaum, increasing the annual production capacity to 800 million condoms. The world’s greatest variety of condoms was being produced by HLL Lifecare as of 2007.

Early on in the program, a package of three condoms was offered for 15 paise, which is about 80% less than what the market would bear. Nirodh condoms had 92% of the Indian market share by March 1972, and monthly condom usage had reached 7 million thanks to this price approach. At the time, condoms were seen as an answer to the urgent problem of family planning. Nonetheless, many Indians found the practice of wearing condoms to be strange and even embarrassing. Men were expected to use condoms, but they often saw them as an invasive device that reduced the enjoyment of sexual activity.

Male sterilisation is still more widespread than condom usage in India, according to the 2019–21 National Family Health Survey. Only one in ten males use condoms. Nirodh became synonymous with condoms in India similar to how Xerox but the company still had trouble retaining its market dominance.

Television Advertising

The first television ads for Nirodh condoms didn’t air until the 1980s, even though the product had been available to the public since the 1960s. But these advertisements were ineffective since they didn’t tell people anything useful about the product, how to use it, or even when it was available. At about the same time, the Kamasutra condom brand became viral in India thanks to its racy ads starring Bollywood stars. Condoms were once again associated with more than simply family planning—pleasure.

Makeover

Although about 650 million condoms are distributed annually, many customers found the basic white package of Nirodh condoms unpleasant. In response to this, the government and health ministry of India chose to redesign Nirodh condoms. Although the alterations were quite minimal, the packaging was modified to incorporate more appealing photos of couples. This was done in response to the conservative aspect of Indian culture.

Newer brands, such as Durex and Kamasutra, had won over younger consumers with vibrant packaging and attention-grabbing ads, and Nirodh still had a hard time keeping up, even after getting a makeover. To top it all off, these companies sparked discussions about safe sex among young Indians and made it more desirable to them. On the other hand, Nirodh’s approach of concentrating on married couples eventually led to its demise when confronted with more youthful and energetic competitors.

Much like the topic of sexuality, condoms are still considered taboo in India. Durex and similar companies, on the other hand, have effectively moved their target demographic from married couples to young adults. These firms are succeeding where Nirodh fell short by using entertaining and engaging advertising to elevate the topic around safe sex.