New Delhi: From supplying affordable condoms for India’s family-planning programme to developing a wider range of contraceptive products, HLL Lifecare’s six-decade journey reflects a changing conversation around contraception.
In a document released ahead of World Contraception Day on September 26, the public-sector enterprise said the focus has expanded beyond population control and family size to encompass reproductive choice, sexual health, privacy and shared responsibility between partners.
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The scale of its operations has grown alongside that shift. HLL manufactured around 162.34 crore condoms in FY2024-25 and says it has produced and distributed more than 5,500 crore over its history. Contraceptive products contributed Rs 470.48 crore to sales in FY25.
Incorporated in 1966 as Hindustan Latex Limited, HLL was established when India was still building its national family-planning infrastructure.
Condoms were largely imported and expensive, according to the company’s document. The government set up HLL to manufacture contraceptives domestically and make them available at affordable prices.
The availability of natural rubber latex in Kerala led to Thiruvananthapuram being selected for its first factory. Commercial production began in 1969 with an annual capacity of 144 million condoms, or 14.4 crore.
Nirodh became one of its best-known early products and a recognisable part of the government’s family-planning programme. HLL continues to supply contraceptives to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
MOODS, launched in 1987, became HLL’s flagship condom brand. The company now manufactures more than 30 variants, with products focused on thinness, texture, flavour and comfort.
Among its newer offerings is MOODS Graphene, developed by its Corporate R&D Centre with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
According to HLL, the technology incorporates graphene into natural-rubber latex to improve properties such as heat transfer and tensile strength, with the aim of producing thinner condoms while retaining protection.
The company has also introduced MOODS Shotz, a range built around different textures, flavours and consumer preferences.
These developments reflect a market increasingly shaped by digital access, e-commerce and changing expectations, HLL said.
HLL’s portfolio extends beyond condoms to oral and emergency contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices and tubal rings.
Its Saheli product is an indigenous, non-steroidal oral contraceptive based on Centchroman, originally developed by the CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute.
HLL’s research centre also collaborated with the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology to develop Emily, an indigenous levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system. According to the company, it provides long-acting contraception and can also be used to manage heavy menstrual bleeding.
Another product, Velvet, is an indigenously developed natural-rubber-latex female condom manufactured entirely in-house. HLL said it was designed to give women greater control over protection against unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
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Research continues on new hormonal molecules and next-generation contraceptive products, the company added.
For younger Indians, conversations around contraception increasingly take place through dating apps, social media and digital platforms, where reliable information competes with misinformation, HLL noted.
Citing UNFPA, the document said 8.42 lakh young people accessed sexual and reproductive-health information through its JustAsk! digital platform in 2025.
HLL said this reflected demand for private, accessible and non-judgmental information on contraception and reproductive health.
The company’s healthcare products now reach more than 100 countries.
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