Mumbai, 2nd July 2025: At just 23, Arjun Deshpande, Founder and CEO of Generic Aadhaar, is making a tangible difference in the lives of rural women through the launch of ‘Stree Shakti – A No-Profit Initiative.’ Officially launched on 21st June 2025, this campaign is dedicated to distributing free sanitary pads to girls and women in some of Maharashtra’s most underserved and vulnerable districts—Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, Melghat, and Palghar.

Inspired by the vision of his mentor, Ratan Tata, Arjun and his team are addressing a critical gap: the lack of access to sanitary pads among rural women, many of whom are receiving them for the very first time. By focusing on direct distribution, the ‘Stree Shakti’ campaign is breaking taboos and safeguarding women’s health and dignity, one pad at a time.

The campaign’s first phase has already reached hundreds of first-time beneficiaries, with Generic Aadhaar’s pharmacist teams going door-to-door and into communities to ensure pads are delivered directly to those who need them most. This hands-on approach is helping to eliminate barriers and provide immediate support to women and girls who have long been left behind by traditional supply chains.

Looking ahead, the second phase of ‘Stree Shakti’ will expand to key regions in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand, targeting districts identified for their high health vulnerability and limited access to menstrual hygiene products.

Arjun Deshpande, Founder and CEO of Generic Aadhaar, shares, “The ‘Stree Shakti’’ initiative is very close to my heart, as it fulfills the dream of my mentor, Ratan Tata Sir, to safeguard women’s health and dignity in rural India. In many villages, women are still using unsafe alternatives due to lack of access to sanitary pads, which can lead to serious health issues. Our team is working tirelessly on the ground to provide free sanitary pads to those who need them most. We believe that empowering women with access to these essentials is the first step towards building a healthier, more equitable future.” With ‘Stree Shakti,’ Generic Aadhaar hopes to take a small but meaningful step toward supporting women’s health in India’s underserved communities, and remains committed to learning and doing more with each phase of this journey.

(Disclaimer: The above content is a press release and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR

Menstrual hygiene access: no-profit initiative distributes free sanitary pads to underserved rural women to improve health. A no-profit public health initiative, 'Stree Shakti', implements direct distribution of free sanitary pads to rural women and girls in underserved districts to address gaps in menstrual hygiene access and attendant health and dignity concerns. The campaign's first phase targeted specified high-need districts in Maharashtra through door-to-door and community-level distribution by company pharmacist teams, reaching numerous first-time beneficiaries and aiming to break social taboos that impede access to safe menstrual products.