Arunachalam M

The “PADMAN” of India Padmashri Awardee

An Indian social entrepreneur, inventor and founder, Dr Arunachalam Muruganantham hardly needs an introduction. He has created the world’s first low-cost machine to produce sanitary towels. Post a re-engineering, the machine won the award for the best innovation for the betterment of society from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai in 2006. Dr Muruganantham was also given a presidential award for innovation.

Currently, more than 2400 machines made by his start-up company, Jayaashree Industries, are installed across 27 states in India and seventeen other countries. These machines are sold directly to rural women through the support of bank loans and not-for-profit organizations.

In 2014, he was included in Time magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People in the World. Dr Arunachalam Muruganatham was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2016.