Amazon said the initiative will support over 500 women entrepreneurs by 2027, creating sustainable livelihoods while improving menstrual health access.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Amazon India on Monday unveiled the next phase of its women’s health initiative at the Singahalli Community Centre in Bengaluru, aimed at addressing “period poverty” through locally manufactured sanitary products, education, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Under the initiative, four sanitary napkin manufacturing facilities are already operational in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. The facilities train women from local communities to manufacture and sell sanitary napkins.
According to the company, the initiative, which it claims has impacted over 50,000 women and adolescent girls from underserved communities across 130 villages and 14 cities, is expected to reach 2,00,000 women and girls by 2025.
The company said that through the initiative, Amazon will support over 500 women entrepreneurs by 2027, creating sustainable livelihoods while improving menstrual health access.
Biodegradable napkins
The sanitary napkin production units, which use fully automated state-of-the-art machinery, have a combined production capacity of 1,200 biodegradable sanitary napkins per hour. All napkins are made from CPCB-approved, 100% biodegradable raw materials, offering a sustainable alternative in areas where plastic waste and a lack of access to hygienic products remain major challenges, the statement said.
Women entrepreneurs operate the units with support from nonprofit partners Vyomini and She and We, with active engagement from ASHAs, anganwadi centres, and local gram panchayats. At the Singahalli unit, nearly 20 women are trained. Those who are employed in the manufacturing process work around three hours a day and earn a monthly income of ₹17,400. Those engaged in door-to-door sales of the product in the nearby villages earn an income of around ₹3,000 per month.
Tackling prejudices
“Menstruation, a natural biological process, remains shrouded in secrecy and shame in many parts of India, and our programmes are tackling this head-on,” said Karuna Shanker Pande, vice president of Amazon Logistics, India. “This initiative goes beyond hygiene — it fuels economic opportunity, dismantles long-standing taboos, and builds local leadership.”
Branded ‘Prayatna’, the napkins are currently being sold at a subsidised rate of ₹35 per packet. Each packet consists six napkins. Apart from direct sales, the initiative has facilitated vending machines and incinerators at more than 50 schools so far.
According to the company, the initiative will look at geographic expansion to North and West India, product diversification into women’s hygiene products, and scaling up production and distribution.
Published – May 26, 2025 08:24 pm IST
