 | This biographical article is written like a résumé. (March 2022) |
Arunachalam Muruganantham | |
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| Born | 12 October 1961 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Pad Man |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Inventor and social entrepreneur |
| Organization | Jayaashree Industries |
| Known for | Invention of low-cost sanitary pad-making machine |
| Spouse | Shanthi |
| Awards | Padma Shri (2016) |
Arunachalam Muruganantham (born 12 October 1961) also known as Padman is a social entrepreneur from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India. He is the inventor of a low-cost sanitary pad-making machine and is credited for innovating grassroots mechanisms for generating awareness about traditional unhygienic practices around menstruation in rural India. His mini-machines, which can manufacture sanitary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads, have been installed in 23 of the 29 states of India in rural areas. He is currently planning to expand the production of these machines to 106 nations.[1] The movie Period. End of Sentence. won the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) for the year 2018. The 2018 Hindi film Pad Man was made on his invention, where he was portrayed by Akshay Kumar.
In 2014, he was included in Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People in the World.[2] In 2016, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.[3]
- ^ Venema, Vibeke (4 March 2014). "The Indian sanitary pad revolutionary". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
- ^ "The 100 Most Influential People – Pioneers: Arunachalam Muruganantham". Time. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2016.