Thiruvananthapuram: As it enters its 50th year of conception, the state-run HLL Lifecare, as Hindustan Latex is now called, is spreading itself into a wide range of "sexual wellness" products -- an industry estimated at Rs.8,500 crore ($1.3 billion) in India annually.

From lubricants and gels to lip-shaped vibrating rings, besides value addition to its mainstay, the condoms, the company has set its eyes beyond the "Nirodh" brand -- India's first condom that was a key to the successful family planning, or birth control, campaign.