Atul Tulsiyan, The Padman Of UP: Plans To Provide ‘High Quality’ Sanitary Napkins At ‘Appropriate’ Price

In order to increase reach and awareness about sanitary napkins in North India, Atul Tulsiyan, a businessman from Uttar Pradesh, inspired by the movie ‘Padman’, is building a venture to manufacture high quality pads for women at ‘appropriate’ prices, The Hindu has reported.

Atul is the director of Shudh Plus Hygiene Products which had already set up a manufacturing unit at Gorakhpur, supplying ‘Niine’ brand sanitary napkins in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal and Nation Capital Region since May 2018.

The company is now planning to expand its capacity in a bid to ensure pan-India supply. “We are investing ₹80 crore in this business which has huge potential for growth,” Tulsiyan was quoted in the report as saying.

Expansion into pan-Indian market will bring the company in direct competition with segment leader brands like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson that hold 85 per cent market share.

“This business has also got a social impact as only 18 per cent of the 35 crore women in India have access to sanitary napkins. My objective is that every one must have it and it is their right,” he added.

Atul’s company had last year gifted sanitary pad vending machines to 26 schools in Agra to raise awareness about menstruation and de-stigmatise the natural phenomenon.