Arunachalam Muruganantham: News

Arunachalam Muruganantham is a social entrepreneur and inventor from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. He is the man behind the efficient low-cost sanitary pad-making machine. He also adopted various grassroot techniques for spreading awareness about traditional and unhygienic menstruation practices in rural parts of India. In 2014, Time’s magazine included him in the list of 100 Most Influential People in the World. He also received the Padma Shri in 2016. Muruganantham was born on October 12, 1961, to a family of hand-loom weavers. He grew up in poverty and dropped out of school when he was 14 years old. He used to work as a welder and farm laborer to earn his livelihood. After marriage, he understood his wife’s problems during her menstruation days. Following this, he started his experiments on designing pads. He is the first man to wear a sanitary napkin himself and experience the irritation women go through while being on their periods. His mini-machines have been installed in various Indian states in rural areas and have led to the creation of job opportunities for many women. The 2018 film ‘Pad Man,’ is based on his life story.