It recently came to my attention that Durex brand condoms are made in India. I know this because it is printed on the back of each packet. Given that the tag ‘Made In India’ is not always associated with quality and dependability here in the States, this discovery was a bit thought provoking. It struck me as ironic as well that the second most populated country on the planet is manufacturing a product designed to prevent population increase. Durex claims to the number-one selling condom brand in the world which made me wonder if that is also the case in India. Turns out, it’s not.
Thanks to a bold advertising campaign in 1991, Kama Sutra condoms burst onto the scene in India exchanging the view of condoms as protection and prevention for images of sensuality and sexuality. Utilizing two of the country’s top models and edgy cinematography, the campaign which focused on sex with pleasure was a massive success making Kama Sutra brand as familiar to Indian consumers as Durex is to America shoppers. Which got me wondering, can you buy Kama Sutra condoms in the US? 
It seems that you cannot. After an hour of searching the internet looking for outlets, I could only find the condoms listed on websites outside the United States. You can have them shipped in from Canadian or Greek pharmacies, online Indian bazaars or from the manufacturer itself but forget nipping down to Walgreens for a box. 
To ask why you can’t buy Kama Sutra condoms in the US would certainly begin a long lesson in international trade agreements. Durex, which is headquartered in England (at one point in the city of Knutsford) and has manufacturing facilities in over a dozen countries, entered India’s condom market in 1997, though it’s not clear if that is just the retail division or if manufacturing began in 1997 as well. A quick glance through ads and blogs shows there are many companies producing condoms across the globe, most of which American consumers will only encounter while traveling abroad. In an attempt to once again catch the eye of Indian consumers, in 2009 Kama Sutra launched a desktop application that responds to keywords and phrases in its constantly evolving database by launching a two-second flash movie that has the Kama Sutra logo and the words “Be Safe.” The app comes from a website called SendSomeRubber.com where you can send application invites to your friends or download it for yourself. The application’s creator is Bangalore creative products firm, Hungry & Foolish (H&F).
And as if they were not doing enough for love and pleasure, each Kama Sutra condom wrapper has a sexual position from the ancient Indian Kamasutra text. Now that’s a well thought out product.
Who knew the proliferation of prophylactics could be such a complex topic. I guess I should be happy (and relieved) that Durex condoms receive high ratings for dependability at Consumer Reports. A few of those 1.2 billion folks in India probably feel the same way. Let’s hope the Kama Sutra lovers are happy, too.Visit these links for some stimulating reading!
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-15/man-woman/30154782_1_condom-brands-ks-online-store
www.sendsomerubber.com
www.sendsomerubber.com
All photos are from searches on Google Images. 
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