Pad Bank: A Simple Machine, a Powerful Movement

In Lucknow, a powerful action is changing the lives of thousands of girls.

Aashraya Seth, founder of Happy Periods, didn’t set out to challenge social norms. His journey began while working at IIT Bombay and later while consulting with state governments. That’s where he encountered a reality that was both startling and deeply unjust; nearly one in five girls was dropping out of school after the onset of menstruation — not due to illness or lack of ambition, but because they couldn’t afford something as basic as sanitary pads.

For many, this might have been just another statistic. For Aashraya, it became a turning point. He began speaking openly about menstrual health, an issue still shrouded in silence and stigma. The reactions were telling — awkward pauses, discomfort, even resistance. A man talking about periods? It challenged deeply ingrained taboos. But Ashraya refused to let silence win.

Instead, he listened. He visited schools, engaged with community leaders, and tried to understand the problem at its roots. What emerged was a solution that was as practical as it was powerful, the Pad Bank.

Affordable, accessible, and designed for real-world conditions, the Pad Bank is a non-electric sanitary pad vending machine that fits easily into school washrooms. Priced at just ₹2,500, it dispenses biodegradable pads with the press of a button — no electricity, no maintenance, no fuss.

What began as a simple intervention has grown into a movement. Today, over 58,000 school-going girls receive free, sustainable menstrual products every month, helping them stay in school with dignity. At the same time, more than 5,000 rural women and girls have been trained to produce cloth pads, creating a steady source of livelihood and financial independence.

Through his initiative, Happy Periods, Aashraya is doing more than distributing pads — he is dismantling stigma, creating opportunities, and redefining menstrual health as what it truly is: a public health priority. His message is simple but urgent. Menstrual health is not just a women’s issue, it is everyone’s issue. It demands collective action, open conversations, and sustained support.

Sometimes, the most powerful change begins with breaking a silence. 

Aditya Birla Group is happy to partner The Better India to give voice to inspiring stories of people acting as #AForceForGood.