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Tag: Amar Tulsiyan

  • Niine asks India to run for period-positive vision on Women’s Day

    Niine asks India to run for period-positive vision on Women’s Day

    MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, whose movie Pad Man had shared an important about menstrual hygiene in India, has joined forces with the Niine movement, to mark International Women’s Day 2019, announcing the launch of Run4Niine in 500 cities on the 8 March. He will flag off the run from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

    Run4Niine partner Junior Chambers International (JCI), the non-profit organisation encouraging young people to be active responsible citizens, will help take the ‘Let’s Talk About Periods’ message to the streets of India and in up to 500 cities, made possible through JCI’s chapter networks.

    Niine Movement and Niine Sanitary Napkins co-founder Amar Tulsiyan said, “I am delighted to be launching Run4Niine. The first event of its kind, we aim to galvanise the population into action and hope to get every woman, man and child running to break the taboos around menstrual hygiene. I would like to thank JCI and FOGSI for their support to help extend the reach of Run4Niine further and to thank Akshay Kumar for his continued support. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to work with such esteemed organisations and brilliant minds and we look forward to expanding our partner footprint further to truly create a Chain of Niine.”

    Speaking about his association with Run4Niine, Akshay Kumar said, “When I made the movie Pad Man, I was hoping for it to turn into a conversation. But today, after a year, I can proudly say that it has grown to become a phenomenal movement, truly at a grassroots level. I am therefore excited to announce my partnership with the Niine Movement to take this to the streets of India and invite my fellow citizens, compatriots, change makers and path breakers to join me for Run4Niine, to raise awareness and initiate action on menstrual hygiene. Each of us, when joined together, will form a chain – an unstoppable force fighting an improbable stigma.” 

    He added, “International Women’s Day is a significant day for women and girls across the world; a day when not only women are celebrated for their achievements and contributions in all sectors of life but a cold reminder of the inequalities that exist in our society which have kept girls and women back for centuries. International Women's Day serves as a fitting day for Run4Niine, where everyone can come together in solidarity to tackle menstrual taboos.”

  • Niine launches period tracker app in Hindi, English

    Niine launches period tracker app in Hindi, English

    MUMBAI: Made-in-India sanitary napkin brand Niine has launched, in collaboration with Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), a period tracker app.  The app has been developed in consultation with medical professionals and is said to be the first to be developed by a sanitary napkin brand in India. The app is available on Google Play and iOS for download and works in Hindi as well as English language.

    As per the brand, the Niine Period Tracker is the solution for girls and women across India who want to move past the ‘taboo’, which menstrual hygiene is in the country, and become more aware of their body’s functions and their natural menstrual cycle. Offering convenience to women and girls, the app initially asks for the user’s age, date of last period and how long their averaged period lasts. Once this is complete, users are able to the keep a log which helps the app to generate its prediction for the following month.

    Speaking about the launch of the Niine Period Tracker app, Niine Sanitary Napkins CEO Richa Singh said, “The Niine Period Tracker app builds on Niine’s already formidable reputation as a challenger brand, now becoming the first sanitary napkin brand to launch a period tracker app. We are also leading the way in innovation in the field with the app’s Amazon integration, making it easier than ever to order sanitary napkins through the app when supplies are running low. With this app, we are giving women across India more control over how they manage their periods, and are helping them to learn more about how their own bodies work.”

    Discussing the significance of the app, Niine Sanitary Napkins founder Amar Tulsiyan said, “I am delighted that women and girls across India can now access the Niine Period Tracker, the first such app from a sanitary napkin company. This leap into the digital sector marks a significant moment for the Niine Movement. 71% of girls in India have no knowledge of menstruation before their first period. This can help to embed the stigma in later life, which is why it is important that they learn to have a healthy relationship with their menstrual cycle. Having the ability to track your own period is an immensely empowering resource for women, and I believe the app embodies Niine’s aim to spread menstrual hygiene awareness through education, enrolment and enhancement.”

  • Niine to disrupt sanitary market with affordable pads

    Niine to disrupt sanitary market with affordable pads

    MUMBAI: It may seem unlikely to many that a monthly phenomenon, which lasts for five days on an average, could fuel a billion dollar market. But, brace yourself, as the global feminine hygiene products market is expected to grow over $36 billion in the next six years.

    However, India only comprises 1.5 per cent of this market that largely sells sanitary napkins while products like tampons and menstrual cups are still alien here. The sanitary napkin market is really small at the moment with Whisper and Stayfree dominating the market with 50 per cent and 35 per cent market share respectively.

    Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar tried starting a conversation about the need to use sanitary pads in his movie Padman but that didn’t seem to move a needle! Awards and Box office collection don’t often lead to awareness.

    To state some facts, on an average, India has over 35,50,00,000 menstruating women and girls in India of which 71 per cent have no knowledge of menstruation before their first period.

    The use of sanitary napkins in India is still low as only 18 per cent female use sanitary napkins and 88 per cent predominantly use alternatives such as an old cloth, rags, hay, sand or ash.

    Padman, inspired by Tamil Nadu’s Arunachalam Murugananthanam, who pioneered low-cost sanitary napkins for women, led to the launch of Niine sanitary napkins in partnership with Uttar Pradesh government. With an initial investment of Rs 80 crore, the company manufactures and sells sanitary pads in rural India for as low as Rs 25 for seven pads which is the lowest in India.

    With only one manufacturing unit in Gorakhpur, UP, the company is optimistic to overthrow the market leaders in tier II and tier III towns with its low cost product. This may actually come true as the price point of market leaders Whisper and Stayfree products is still higher at Rs 30 for 7 pads.

    Cost of Menstruation In India

     

    Brand

    Price Per      Pack Of 7

    Quantity Per Cycle 

     Monthly

     (1 Cycle)

    1 Year

    (12 Cycles)

    5 Years 

    (60 Cycles)

    Lifetime

     (420 Cycles)

    NIINE 

    Rs 25

    10 Pads 

    Rs 35 

    Rs 420

    Rs 2,135

    Rs 14,700

    Whisper 

    Rs 29

    10 Pads 

    Rs 40

    Rs 480

    Rs 2,400

    Rs 16,800

    StayFree 

    Rs 30

    10 pads 

    Rs 43

    Rs 516

    Rs 2,580

    Rs 18,060

    Our neighbouring country, China, has the same population as India (over 1.35 Billion) but its sanitary napkin market is worth Rs 6,500 crore annually whereas India stands at only Rs 4,000 crore. Since only 18 per cent female uses sanitary napkins in India, the scope here is humongous.

    Even though the market penetration is quite low in India, the industry has been growing at a steady 25 per cent Y-O-Y and Nine aims to become a Rs 5,000 crore brand in the next five years.

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    The name Niine comes from nine months of pregnancy every woman is likely to go through.

    One of the biggest drawbacks of sanitary pads and the reason why women (especially in smaller towns) refrain from using pads and would rather use cloth or ash is disposal. Sanitary pads usually don’t come with a disposable bag and throwing it away just by itself or wrapped in a paper is inconvenient and often embarrassing. Manufacturers don’t include disposable bags as it comes as an extra cost for them. Niine pads claim to have addressed the issue of disposable bags and come with seven disposable bags.

    Even though the company was launched only in May 2018, founder Amar Tulsiyan expects to capture10-15 per cent of the market share by 2021 and is on track with a projection of Rs 240 crore sales by 2020.

    The company started its first phase of operations in Jharkhand, Bihar, UP, Delhi, NCR and West Bengal and wants to cover the rest of North and South India in the second phase of distribution. Niine products are also available on e-commerce website Amazon along with modern trade outlets like Big Bazaar. It is also negotiating with retail outlet Spencers.

    While Nine fulfils the 3Ps of marketing, the fourth “P” is the most crucial one – promotion. Promotion is nothing else but creating awareness about your product. But how does one create awareness in smaller towns where mobile penetration is still abysmal and television ads don’t work. Solution? Word of mouth and free samples! The company has tied up with several gynaecologists and doctors to create awareness about the product and hygienic sanitary pads along with school seminars and sessions.

    Additionally, the brand will launch a dedicated mobile app to track periods. Tulsiyan said, “We will develop a mobile app for period tracker in English, Hindi and other regional languages along with a blog on information about periods and cures for period pain. This will help us in better customer engagement.”

     

    Since fluffy pads capture 70 per cent of the market in India, it will be the company’s core focus for the next few years. The company will also launch its premium product ultra thin napkins by October 2018 to target the urban consumer.

     

    With competition from local vendors and multinational players like Whisper and Stayfree, Niine will really have to up its ante to make a dent in the market.