Arunachalam Muruganantham

“I have been working in north Indian villages, so I know the truth. Compared to the south Indian states, north India is less developed, and there's little awareness on menstrual hygiene.”

“I am becoming a solution provider. I'm very happy. I don't want to make this as a corporate entity. I want to make this as a local sanitary pad movement across the globe.”

“India and other developing nations need non-farm sector activity. So what we are doing, we are giving small microbusiness to the rural women, especially the farmers' wives.”

“Every year, in our country, we churn out more job seekers rather than job creators. We have to look at new business models, identify a problem, and work on a solution for the same. Today, the machines I have created have provided employment to many women in the rural areas across the country. Why can't youngsters follow suit?”

“My life is a brave one. I didn't put any restrictions.”

“Quality napkins are made in villages at a cost of just Rs 2 per piece with my simple and cost-effective machines.”

“I got married at 24. It was an arranged marriage.”

“To break the age-old taboos and to see girls and women use pads was a difficult task.”

“The most difficult thing is changing people's mindset.”

“Being the son of a handloom weaver, I have knowledge of cotton and some other material.”

“I may fail today, but if I have another idea tomorrow, maybe it will work.”

“Nobody in the society will talk about menstruation... it's a taboo in my country. That's why I'm branded by society as a psycho.”

“I know that if I had got educated, I might have ended up as a call-center employee.”

“A lot of people making a lot of money, billion, billions of dollars accumulating. Why are they coming for, finally, for philanthropy? Why the need for accumulating money, then doing philanthropy? What if one decided to start philanthropy from the day one?”

“Social entrepreneurship is like a butterfly, sucking honey from a flower, but the flower won't die. They're helping the flower to make pollination.”

“Why buy sanitary napkins from multinationals when we can make them at home and generate employment?”

“My vision is to make India into a 100% sanitary-pad-using country. Menstruation is no more a taboo.”

“You can send women to the Moon or Mars later. First, provide sanitary pads to them.”

“There should be awareness on menstrual hygiene among men as well.”

“Most of the students whom I have lectured were inquisitive to learn and contribute towards my vision. So, the youth who want to achieve in life can do a lot for society.”