IIT Palakkad hosted the “Padman”
Dr. Arunachalam Muruganantham, a Social Entrepreneur and the inventor of the world’s first "Low Cost Sanitary Pad Making Machine" was in IIT Palakkad on the 15th of April 2026 and gave a lecture on "Beyond Marketing: from Coimbatore to World". Dr. Arunachalam Muruganantham, who is also the recipient of Padma Shri Award, gave a talk that offered a raw and deeply moving account of his journey to revolutionize menstrual hygiene in India, highlighting the immense personal sacrifices required to dismantle a centuries-old stigma. He detailed the grueling experimentation phase where, in his quest for a low-cost solution, he was forced to navigate intense cultural taboos-even resorting to testing prototypes on himself and seeking feedback from reluctant college students. This dedication came at a staggering personal cost, which never stopped him from moving on and achieving what he wanted to.
Dr. Muruganantham’s narrative is ultimately one of triumph; he reflected on the irony of how his "madness" eventually led to a global acclaim, shifting from being a social outcast to a figure sought after by world leaders and celebrities, including the three former Presidents of India, Dr. Kalam, Smt. Prathiba Patil and Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He prioritized a women-led decentralised business model over corporate profit and demonstrated how grassroots innovation can transform a deeply stigmatized issue into a nationwide movement for female empowerment and lasting social change. He advised the students to look for solutions for the problems around them instead of seeking employment post their graduation.
The event was organized as a part of the Extra Mural Lecture series in association with the NSS Chapter of IIT Palakkad. Dean (Student Affairs), Faculty, Staff, Students and NSS Volunteers of IIT Palakkad attended the session.
