Mr Arunachalam Muruganantham
CEO, Jayaashree Industries
Arunachalam Muruganantham is the person who changed things. From a poor background in the South of India, he created the world's first low-cost machine to produce sanitary towels. Muruganantham re-engineered a sanitary machine, and in 2006 it won the award for the best innovation for the betterment of society from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. Plus, he also received an Indian presidential award for innovation. Currently more than 600 machines made by his start-up company, Jayaashree Industries, are installed across 23 states in India. This social entrepreneur sells the £1,600 machines directly to rural women through the support of bank loans and not-for-profit organisations.
