Personal Hygiene and Wellness
Building a Category from Scratch: Rithish Kumar on PeeSafe’s Journey
In this episode of Brands and Beyond, Rithish Kumar, co-founder of PeeSafe, shares how a personal problem turned into a category-defining brand. From breaking taboos to building an omni-channel presence, he talks about scaling in India, expanding globally, and solving everyday hygiene challenges through constant innovation.
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1. Introduction and the Inception of PeeSafe
You have built a brand that is quite unique in India. What led to the idea and how did PeeSafe come into existence?
Rithish Kumar: The idea actually started before the company was formally set up. It came from a personal experience faced by Vikas and his wife, Sirona. Vikas was running a company called SafetyKart, which started after the Nirbhaya case in 2013.
During one of their travels, Sirona fell sick and had to be hospitalised. Doctors told them it was a urinary tract infection caused by frequent use of public restrooms. That is when they realised that even premium washrooms are not always hygienic.
They explored solutions and came up with the idea of a spray that could sanitise a toilet seat from a distance and evaporate quickly. Within six months, they launched the product. The name PeeSafe was chosen deliberately to make its purpose obvious and easy to understand.
The company was formally established in 2017, which is when I joined the journey.
2. Market Penetration and Growth
You scaled across India fairly quickly. How did you approach market penetration?
Rithish Kumar: We started with a strong base of early adopters. Through SafetyKart, we had already sold to around 30,000 to 40,000 customers.
When you solve a real problem, especially one that affects women, word of mouth becomes very powerful. A large part of our growth came from referrals.
We focused heavily on education and awareness rather than pushing the product aggressively. We avoided fear-based messaging and kept communication simple. The idea was to reduce the risk of infections and position our product as a practical solution.
Even today, 70 to 80 percent of our growth is driven by word of mouth.
3. Global Expansion and the Toughest Market
PeeSafe is now present in over 23 countries. Which markets were the most challenging?
Rithish Kumar: We broadly divide markets into developed and developing ones.
In developed markets, the focus is on compliance and online sales. In developing markets, we replicate our omni-channel distribution strategy.
Interestingly, the toughest market for us is still India. It contributes nearly 90 percent of our revenue, but challenges like awareness, disposable income, and cultural barriers make it harder to scale.
From day one, we aimed to build a global brand because these products did not really exist anywhere else at the time.
4. Normalising Conversations and Retail Strategy
How do you manage stakeholders in traditional trade, especially given the sensitivity of the category?
Rithish Kumar: The real change-makers are consumers. Our first job is to normalise the conversation and break taboos.
Once consumers become aware and start asking for these products, retailers are compelled to stock them.
We also invest in retailer education, especially for newer products like menstrual cups, which many retailers are unfamiliar with.
One important learning is that you cannot build a consumer brand through online channels alone. You need a strong omni-channel presence. You have to be available wherever the customer is, whether that is pharmacies, marketplaces, or quick commerce platforms like Blinkit.
5. Innovation and Market Leadership
You were among the first to introduce toilet seat sanitisers in India. What other innovations have you brought in?
Rithish Kumar: We were the first globally to introduce toilet seat sanitisers, and today we hold around 92 to 93 percent market share in India.
Another innovation was our Ayurvedic cramp relief roll-on, which offers an alternative to painkillers during periods.
Our approach is to solve micro problems. For example, we launched an extra-long panty liner of 185 mm because existing options were shorter and not suited to how Indian consumers actually use them.
Today, we are the leading liner brand in the country, selling around 2 million units every month.
We have also introduced several firsts in India, including organic cotton biodegradable sanitary products, female condoms, and menstrual discs.
6. Partnership with the Indian Navy
You have also partnered with the Indian Navy. Could you tell us more about that?
Rithish Kumar: Yes, this was a very meaningful collaboration.
Female officers often spend long hours at sea and may not have the flexibility to change sanitary products frequently. We suggested the use of menstrual cups as a practical solution.
Based on that, we partnered with the Indian Navy to provide menstrual care kits. Our products are now also available in their canteens.
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7. The "Pee Conversations" and the Future
How did your educational series Pee Conversations come about?
Rithish Kumar: We observed that women often have open conversations in informal settings like restrooms or powder rooms.
We wanted to bring those conversations into a larger, more accessible platform. That is how Pee Conversations started in 2017 as Instagram Live sessions.
Later, we evolved it into a podcast. The idea has always been to talk about relevant topics in an engaging way without directly promoting the brand, so that people see us as a brand that genuinely cares.
Looking ahead, the market will move beyond traditional sanitary napkins. Penetration will increase significantly, and alternative products like menstrual cups, tampons, and period panties will become more common. Consumers will increasingly look for flexibility and choice.
8. Sub-brands and Rural Outreach
What other brands are part of your portfolio?
Rithish Kumar: We launched two sub-brands during the COVID period, Fur and Domina.
Fur focuses on body hair grooming, which became relevant when salon access was limited. Domina focuses on female sexual wellness, starting with female condoms to give women more control over safe sex.
We also experimented with a rural-focused product called RakshaSafe, but it did not scale as expected since our strength lies in urban markets.
However, through our initiative Hux Period, we work with volunteers to educate girls in rural and underserved communities about menstrual hygiene. So far, we have reached around 2.5 lakh women in partnership with organisations like Amazon and Microsoft.
9. Major Achievements
What is one achievement that stands out for you?
Rithish Kumar: One of the most memorable moments was receiving the Best SMB Brand of the Year award from Amazon in 2020.
That was also when Jeff Bezos visited India and interacted with emerging brands. It marked a turning point for us and helped us expand into global markets like the US, UK, and Europe.