Indian startup fights stigma with biodegradable sanitary napkins

Saathi CEO says lack of menstruation items keeps women from reaching potential

20230526 Saathi Co-Founder and CEO Saathi Kristin Kagetsu interview

Saathi co-founder and CEO Kristin Kagetsu speaks during an interview on May 26 in Tokyo. (Photo by Shinya Sawai) 

RYOHTAROH SATOH, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Kristin Kagetsu, co-founder and CEO of Indian startup Saathi, is tackling the stigma against menstruation in India by offering biodegradable sanitary items, and cutting use of plastic along the way.

Saathi was set up in 2015 in the western city of Ahmedabad, making biodegradable sanitary items from the abundant banana and bamboo fibers available from local farms. As of 2022, the company had distributed around 1 million pads.

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