Class 12 Student Builds ₹2 Sanitary Pad Model, Expands Menstrual Hygiene Access Across South India

In a grassroots initiative that connects prisons, corporations and underprivileged women, a Class 12 student from Coimbatore is reshaping menstrual hygiene access across South India.

Sashvat Seksaria, a 12th grade student, has built a low-cost sanitary pad ecosystem that delivers pads at just ₹2 each - a fraction of the ₹8-₹10 retail market price. The project, conceived and executed entirely by the teenager, has already distributed more than six lakh sanitary pads and is on track to cross the one million mark by March 2026.

Tackling the Cost Barrier

For millions of women, the biggest obstacle to safe menstrual hygiene is affordability. Recognising this, Sashvat identified an unconventional but practical solution - installing sanitary pad manufacturing machines inside Central Prisons.

By leveraging prison labour and keeping overheads minimal, production costs dropped close to raw material prices. Manufacturing cost per pad fell to ₹2, making large-scale distribution financially viable without compromising on quality.

The initiative not only lowered prices but also created structured skill-based work for women inmates involved in pad manufacturing.

The Model: A Three-Way Win

The student also addressed the challenge of distribution. He approached factories and manufacturing units that employ a large female workforce and persuaded them to fund pad distribution through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budgets.

This created a self-sustaining ecosystem:

Female factory workers receive free sanitary pads, improving their health and comfort.

Corporates meet CSR obligations while directly supporting their own workforce.

Companies benefit from improved attendance and productivity due to better menstrual health.

Women inmates gain vocational skills, strengthening employability after release.

Underprivileged women gain access to affordable and dignified menstrual hygiene products.

The model reduces dependency on donations alone and instead integrates health, industry and correctional systems into a functional supply chain.

In India, more than 300 million women lack access to safe menstrual hygiene products. The consequences extend beyond health concerns to school dropouts, workplace absenteeism, infections and loss of dignity.

By linking production to prisons and distribution to corporate CSR frameworks, the Coimbatore student has created a scalable template that can be replicated in other regions. The model demonstrates how local innovation, when designed thoughtfully, can address structural gaps in public health in a financially sustainable way.