The document outlines a project by Praveenlata Sansthan, a non-profit organization, to develop reusable sanitary pads. It notes that only 12% of menstruating women in India use sanitary pads currently. The project aims to address this issue through a sustainable, affordable, and user-friendly reusable pad solution. It details the design of proposed reusable pads and a business plan. Rapid prototyping was conducted. Recommendations include a marketing strategy focusing on offline publicity and online social media promotion. The experience highlighted the importance of effective resource utilization, understanding user struggles, and not expecting direct returns from social work.

1. DOCC PROJECT
PRAVEEN-LATA SANTHAN
REUSABLE SANITARY PADS | PRODUCT & BUSINESS PLAN
NUPUR GUPTA
PGPM - 2018 - 41
SPJIMR
**Only 12% of India’s menstruating women use sanitary napkins

2. PRESENTATION FLOW
PRAVEENLATA SANSTHAN_BRIEF
SPOTLESS DAME INITIATIVE
PROJECT BACKGROUND
PROJECT SCOPE | PROJECT OBJECTIVE
APPROACH
INTERVENTION PLAN
REUSABLE SANITARY PADS | DESIGN & DETAIL
EXECUTION | RAPID PROTOTYPING
ANALYSIS | S.W.O.T. & BUSINESS PLAN
RECOMMENDATIONS
LEARNINGS

3. PRAVEENLATA SANSTHAN_BRIEF
‘Praveenlata Sansthan’ is a registered Non-Government & Not-For-Profit
Charitable Organisation registered under ‘Societies Registration Act’ 1958.
The organisation works for helping the needy people of underprivileged
sections of society by various means. The aim to see that no human being is
deprived of his basic needs because of poverty and the organisation also
sees to support and nurture the talents that lack basic facilities.
ORGANIZATION GOALS
• Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
• Achieve in Universal primary Education
• Promote Gender Equality & Empower Women
• Ensure Environmental Sustainability
• Rural Development
INITIATIVES
Laadli Community Center
Titli
Spotless Dame
Respect SHE
Mission Jagriti
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

4. PRAVEENLATA SANSTHAN_SPOTLESS DAME INITIATIVE
Millions of girls in India are disempowered by the simple biological process
of menstruation. PraveenLata Sansthan strives to support and nurture the
ones that lack basic facilities under its ‘Spotless Dame’ initiative to ensure
personal hygiene for women.
ACTIVITIES UNDER THE INITIATIVE
• Sanitary Pad Distribution
• Awareness Workshops
• Women Health Helpline
• Establishing Self HelpGroups
APPROACH
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

5. PROJECT BACKGROUND_UNDER ‘SPOTLESS DAME INITIATIVE’
REUSBALE SANITARY PADS
The management of menstruation has come to the fore as an urgent concern w.r.t. personal
hygiene for women and young girls of rural and semi-urban areas.
Soiling, irritation and infection, physical experience, psychological, social and cultural factors
are issues related to Menstrual Hygiene that need remediation.
The long-term overbearing costs and the ‘fear of unknown’ related to disposable sanitary
pads are unfathomable for the underprivileged who at most use the age-old cloth pieces to
sustain periods.
There is a dire need to address this basic necessity through a sustainable, cost effective and
easily acceptable solution.
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

6. PROJECT BACKGROUND_WHY REUSABLE SANITARY PADS ?
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
01
02
03 05CULTURE, FOLK
Fear that blood could
be used from disposed
sanitary pads to
practice black magic
and enchantment
DISPOSAL
Extremely difficult to
dispose sanitary pads in
rural and semi-urban
locations due to poor
waste-management
ENVIRONMENT
Disposable sanitary pads
are a major burden on the
environment by virtue of
their non-biodegradable
composition in most part
HEALTH
Disposable sanitary
pads are laden with
chemicals that are very
harmful for the highly
absorbent vaginal lining 04
ECONOMIC
REUSABLE SANITARY PADS
ARE WASHABLE; PROVIDE
HUGE LONG TERM COST
EFFECTIVENESS AND ARE
MORE AFFORDABLE

7. PROJECT OBJECTIVE & SCOPE_UNDER ‘SPOTLESS DAME INITIATIVE’
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
TO DEVELOP AN ECO-CONSCIOUS, NON-TOXIC, USER-FRIENDLY, COST EFFECTIVE RANGE OF
‘REUSABLE SANITARY PADS’.
PROJECT SCOPE
PRIMARY | RANGE DEDICATED TO RURAL AND SEMI-URBAN POOR
SECONDARY | RANGE DEDICATED TO ECO-CONSCIOUS URBAN PRIVILEGED
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

8. PROJECT_APPROACH
THE . DESIGN .THINKING . APPROACH . EMPLOYED
EMPATHIZE DEFINE IDEATE PROTOTYPE TEST
BUSINESS
MODEL
INTERVIEWS | CONVERSATIONS
VISIT TO SHANKAR NAGAR SLUM
RURAL/SEMI-URBAN
POOR
+
MENSTRUAL HYGIENE
+
MULTIPLE INSIGHTS
=
P.O.V.
BRAIN STORMING
CREATIVE EXPLORATION
MATERIAL EVALUATION
UNDERSTAND EXPLORE MATERIALIZE
“RURAL/SEMI-URBAN POOR NEED AN ECO-CONSCIOUS, NON-TOXIC,
USER-FRIENDLY, COST EFFECTIVE RANGE OF ‘REUSABLE SANITARY PADS’
TO ENSURE MENSTRUAL HYGIENE”
MOCK-UPS
PATTERN EXPLORATION
MATERIAL EXPLORATION
ABSORBENCY TESTING
PATTERN FEASIBILITY
MATERIAL VIABILITY
UNDERSTAND IMPEDIMENTS
RECOMMENDATIONS :
PRODUCT PLAN
MARKETING STRATEGY
PROMOTION PLAN
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

9. INTERVENTION_PLAN
RESEARCH
Available textile-based
sanitary pad options, technical
construction research, material
exploration, pattern
exploration, design language
study
Create mock-ups for product
testing, material feasibility,
pattern effectiveness for
different use cases,
construction related
impediments
RAPID PROTOTYPING
SOURCING
Material research to find
relevant materials for
sampling the ideated
sanitary pad - Market visits,
enquiries on IndiaMart,
fabric scouting across
export houses
BUSINESS PLAN
Recommend a relevant business
plan to establish the
prototyped sanitary pad
options for suggested use-
cases
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

10. REUSABLE SANITARY PAD_PROPOSED DESIGN
FLUID-PERMEABLE LAYER
Made from materials such as blanket fleece to draw
liquid away from the skin and into the pad.
TRANSFER LAYER
Cotton microfibre layer that holds the liquid
And transfer liquid to the core.
SUPER-ABSORBENT CORE
Made of a combination of cotton microfibre and
cotton flannel to provide for pad’s absorbency.
MOISTURE BARRIER
Water repellant layer of nylon sheet, PU coated
acrylic knit or coated canvas to prevent liquid from
escaping the pad.
INTERNAL DESIGN AESTHETICS
Rajasthani printing craft inspired fabric designs - Batik,
Bandhej, Block prints, traditional motifs, saturated colours
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

11. REUSABLE SANITARY PAD_PROPOSED DESIGN
TYPE I | REGULAR TYPE II | CUSOMISABLE TYPE III | LOW-COST
WITH DETACHABLE CORE SINGLE FABRIC, EASY WASH4 LAYER INTERNAL DESIGN
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

12. EXECUTION_RAPID PROTOTYPING
INTERNAL + EXTERNAL MATERIAL SOURCING
PATTERN DEVELOPMENT
INTERNAL SECTION CONSTRUCTION
FINAL PROTOTYPE ( TYPE I & TYPE II)
INITIAL ABSORBENCY & QUALITY TESTING
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

13. S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS_REUSABLE SANITARY PADS
STRENGTH OPPORTUNITY
WEAKNESS THREAT
Visibility & Recognition
Founders’ Goodwill
Established Training Centre
In-house Skill-set
Effective Volunteer Program
Strong community relationships
Experience at national and grassroots level
Awareness around SPOTLESS DAME initiative
Support from Media
Expanding Centre Base
Reputation advantage to Raise Funds
Relevant Thematic Laws
Support from Sector Organisations
Strong Varied Industry Connections
Great Community Response
Requisite Skill Level
Funding Concerns
Under Staffing
Lack of Systematic Operations
Restricted Social Media Impact (only FB)
Limited Product Expertise
Inconsistent Attendance of Skill-Force
Coordination Gap
Existing Commitments/Workload
Established Players in Washable Sanitary Pads
Inconsistencies in Procurement
Abduction of Skill-Force
Detrimental External Policies
Attitudinal Problems at Community Level
Lack of access to Target Groups & Locations
Sustainability problems due to Funding issues
Anti-NGO approach by Media
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

14. ANALYSIS_BUSINESS PLAN
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
COSTING PLAN
Calculated per pc Variable Cost - 80 INR
(Excl. Logistics)
Establishment Cost - 52,000 INR (Including
Initial Training)
Proposed Retail Price as per Competition
Research - 175 INR
Breakeven Units - 545
PROPOSED BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
MARKET FOCUS
RURAL & SEMI-URBAN POOR | As part of PLS’s ‘Personal Hygiene Care Kit’
URBAN PRIVILEGED | Eco-conscious & Cost-conscious audience
INSTITUTIONAL SALES | PLS’s Reusable Sanitary Pads could form part of ‘Toiletry Kit’ at J.W. Marriott, Jaipur
COMPETITION
EXISTING PLAYERS | Eco Femme, Carmesi, Goonj NJPC, Azadi, Heyday, Sakhi, Jayaashree Industries
ADVANTAGE | Poor product quality offered in market, limited designs and option sets in market, wide price
range, scanty offline presence of competition, no brand loyalty - brand building opportunity

15. RECOMMENDATIONS_MARKETING & PROMOTIONS STRATEGY
OFFLINE ONLINES. No. OFFLINE
1 PUBLICITY - Sensitise local newspapers, radio stations and television networks about reusable sanitary pad, its how and why
2 MEDIA GIVEAWAYS - Donate free products in exchange for advertisements and publicity about menstrual hygiene and reusable sanitary pad
3 ENDORSEMENTS - Distribute free pads as part of ‘personal hygiene kit’ and otherwise to create word-of-mouth
4 NETWORKING - Leverage business associations and contacts to promote the product and its cause at special events
5 TRADE-SHOWS - Split a booth with another company that sells compatible products. Showcase only prototypes and create awareness
6 TRADE ASSOCIATION PUBLICATIONS - Get featured in industry relevant publication
7 EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS - Product promotion as part of the regular training regime
8
CROSS PROMOTIONS - Find companies with related products and explore ways to promote each other’s business. Can be done in respective business
locations, through joint advertising and with links to each other’s website. Eg - GULABCHAND, ANOKHI in Jaipur
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

16. RECOMMENDATIONS_MARKETING & PROMOTIONS STRATEGY
OFFLINES. No. ONLINE
1
HIGHLIGHT A ‘DONOR OF THE DAY’ OR ‘DONOR OF THE WEEK’ - Simple acknowledgement can be powerful for building connections within the
community and they can make for attention-getting, visual content
2
INTERACT WITH RELEVANT PAGES AND PROFILES - Connect with fellow nonprofits and companies who support the cause of Menstrual Hygiene and
Reusable Sanitary pads
3
CREATE BEHIND-THE-SCENE CONTENT - Highlight content around planning hours, training and production sessions, procurement efforts, research bites
and steps of employment generation through the project
4
ENCOURAGE PEER-TO-PEER ASKS - Leverage tools such as CLASSY to enable volunteers and interns to set-up their own fundraising pages. They can
then share these pages with their own followers, enabling a strong sense of 1:1 support
5
START ‘ASK’ QUESTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS - Encourage conversation regarding Menstrual Hygiene and lead to higher amount of interactions
and engagement to promote Reusable Sanitary Pads
6 USE SHOCK FACTOR TO PROMOTE REUSABLE SANITARY PADS ON SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES - Plug-in ‘Donate Now’ or ‘Order Now’ button on FB
7 CREATE A WIKIPEDIA PAGE - Wikipedia pages can be great for social sharing and for helping manage the product appeal and brand online
8
INCREASE FOCUS ON OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES - Twitter (Build Twitter lists : VIP supporters, sponsors, press, influencers, and fellow nonprofits),
Instagram (Expand product coverage and process), Website Blog (Leverage product content through blog posts), Initiative specific social media pages
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

17. PRAVEENLATA SANSTHAN_EXPERIENCE & LEARNINGS
1
Practical Management skills in an unstructured environment
are of paramount importance.
2
The only way to manage efficient utilisation of funds is
through effective negotiations.
3
Understanding of strifes and struggles of certain sections to
secure basic amenities and living standards is quintessential
for managerial development.
4
The wonders of an impactful Social Media presence for an
NGO.
5
Value of planning targets and creating an action-plan, to
expect real achievement else unnecessary resource
consumption happens without any reasonable outcome.
6
Being kind and generous leads one to perceive others more
positively and more charitably.
7
Not everything is done to get returns, social work is
valuable for personal satisfaction as well.
DOCC PROJECT REPORT | S.P.JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

18. QUESTIONS/
SUGGESTIONS ?