The Government of Uttar Pradesh honoured social entrepreneur Amar Tulsiyan, Founder of the Niine Movement and the Niine Sanitary Napkins brand at the Ground Breaking ceremony, which took place on Sunday, 29^th July 2018 in Lucknow.

Attended by the Honourable Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, the Ground Breaking ceremony marked the launch of 81 projects worth Rs 60,000 crore, which were announced with signed MoUs during the UP Investors’ Summit in February 2018.

Inspired by the need to bridge the gap between the 18% of menstruating females in India who use sanitary napkins, and the 82% predominantly engaging in unhygienic practices, such as the use of hay and soil, Amar Tulsiyan launched the Niine Movement, an ambitious five-year plan aimed at raising awareness on the importance of menstrual hygiene and tackling the taboos associated with menstruation, and the Niine Sanitary Napkins range, to empower all menstruating females with a product that is accessible, affordable and of good quality. With more than 90% of the county not having an adequate waste disposal system, many girls and women are deterred from using sanitary napkins due to the lack of disposal facilities. To address this reality, Niine is the first sanitary napkins brand in India to provide free disposal bags along with its product.

Speaking about Niine’s recognition at the Ground Breaking Ceremony, Amar Tulsiyan says: “Firstly, on behalf of all of the team at Niine, we are honoured and humbled to have received this honour from the Government of Uttar Pradesh. We also extend our deep gratitude to the Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, for implementing the New Textile Policy, which has inspired Niine to provide the best quality sanitary napkins at the most affordable prices.

I am a proud citizen of Gorakhpur, and I have seen the city and our State develop immensely over the years. Our Honourable Chief Minister has committed to improving the state for all, with ambitious targets for Swachh Bharat. With 3.52 lakh toilets built in 17 days, the state is surpassing all expectations and demonstrating to the rest of India that it is achieving the vision of an open defecation free India is possible. Furthermore, Our Honourable’s administration has overseen the provision of more opportunity for people of all backgrounds.

No girl or woman should be held back because of her biology – that is why we believe an empowered woman will result in an empowered nation, which will support several initiatives be it Make in India or Niti Aayog’s New India 2022 vision. At Niine we are committed to contributing to not only the vision of Uttar Pradesh but our entire nation.”

The recognition of the Niine Movement and Niine Sanitary Napkins brand at the Ground Breaking Ceremony coincides with the recent decision by the Government of India to exempt sanitary napkins from GST, which Amar Tulsiyan states is a step forward for woman empowerment. He says: “We are grateful to our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji for his decision to exempt GST from sanitary napkins, positioning this in the basic necessity category of goods. This decision will have a long term and profound impact on India; as Pad Man Akshay Kumar rightfully said: Women Strong, Country Strong.”