What do pickles, paper, and sanitary napkins have in common? Kenaf. This unassuming plant, native to India, is at the heart of a breakthrough in women’s hygiene. Thanks to two visionary students, Niveda Ravikumar and Goutham Soundararajan, kenaf is poised to change the game for sustainability and health.
Known for its nutritional value and versatility, kenaf has been a staple in Indian households for generations. Its leaves add flavor to pickles, chutneys, and curries, while its fibres are used in textiles and paper. But in 2017, while working on their final-year project at Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, Niveda and Goutham saw an even greater potential for this plant.
Tasked with exploring natural fibres for clothing, they uncovered the wider applications of kenaf fibre. Beyond its traditional uses, they realised its unique qualities could revolutionise women’s hygiene. Driven by a vision to create a sustainable and health-friendly product, they embarked on an ambitious journey to develop kenaf-based sanitary napkins.
Their innovation bridges the gap between health, sustainability, and menstrual care, offering women an alternative that’s both eco-conscious and body-friendly. Through their efforts, Niveda and Goutham are proving that sometimes, the simplest solutions come from nature—and a bold willingness to reimagine its potential.
Bringing a simple idea to life
When Niveda and Goutham began working with kenaf in 2017, they never imagined where it would lead. What started as a project to explore its use in textiles quickly turned into something much bigger. While experimenting, they discovered the fibre’s amazing ability to absorb and its natural antimicrobial properties.
The idea of using kenaf for sanitary pads came from Goutham’s concern about the growing plastic waste in India. “Every time he visited Coimbatore, he’d say, ‘We need to do something about this,’” Niveda shares. With over 1,13,000 tonnes of plastic from sanitary pads being thrown away every year, they knew they had to act.
By the end of 2017, they created their prototype. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to win the Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards, beating 900 participants. “That gave us the confidence to keep going,” Niveda says.
But their journey wasn’t easy. Their families worried about the risks, and they faced rejection at an entrepreneurship boot camp for lacking financial know-how. “It was tough, but it made us look at our product differently,” she adds.
Despite the hurdles, they pushed forward. They refined their design after early users mistook the natural brown colour of the fibre for dirt. By 2018, they launched Bliss Naturals. Starting as a two-person team handling everything themselves, they’ve now grown into a 50-member operation in Coimbatore.
After redesigning the product to have a cleaner, whiter top layer, the brand faced the challenge of convincing customers to switch to the bio-based alternative. But everything changed during the Coimbatore Codissia shopping festival in December 2018, where they gained 1,000 customers in just 10 days! “That was our biggest breakthrough,” says Niveda with a smile.
Kalpana Sarathi from Tiruppur, a loyal Bliss customer for over four years, shares, “I’ve always preferred organic products. I first came across Bliss at the Codissia fair, and I’ve never looked back. The sleek design is incredibly comfortable, and the anti-itching feature has been a game-changer for me.”
The duo made sure to listen to their customers, refining their products to suit the varying needs of women. Today, Bliss Naturals offers a wide range of products, from different pad sizes to options that cater to various flow levels and body types. They also offer other essential hygiene products, like panty liners and sweat pads, while maintaining their commitment to a completely natural approach to women’s hygiene.
“Our main goal is to promote rash-free periods, which we achieve through our top-layer innovation,” says Gowtham. The fiber used in their pads is sourced from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and is entirely machine-made. “Our product is completely hands-free and UV sterilized, ensuring the highest hygiene standards,” he adds.
Meena M Vijay, a dedicated Bliss Naturals user for five years, shares how switching to organic pads changed her experience. “Before discovering Bliss pads in 2019, I dreaded travelling during my period. The constant friction and fear of rashes always held me back. However, since I switched to organic options, my periods no longer disrupt my travel plans. Now, I can travel comfortably and confidently, just like any other day.”
“Several of my friends who struggled with irregular periods while using synthetic pads saw their cycles normalize after switching to Bliss pads,” she adds.
With an impressive 80% customer retention rate, over 3.5 lakh supporters, and more than 3.3 million products sold between April and November 2024, Bliss Naturals is making a significant impact, all thanks to the power of kenaf.
Giving back sustainably
Aligned with eight UN Sustainable Development Goals, the kenaf fibre-based pads also offer a climate-friendly solution. Niveda highlights that their products “emit 143 times less carbon compared to traditional options,” contributing to reduced air pollution.
“To truly test their sustainability claim, I decided to conduct a little experiment,” shares Meena. “I buried a used Bliss pad to see if it would actually biodegrade. I was thrilled to find that it had completely decomposed within a few months, leaving no trace behind.”
Bliss Natural backs its bio-based claim with certifications from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), a crucial requirement for selling sanitary napkins. Additionally, they have undergone a Lifecycle Assessment Test (LCA) to analyse the product’s environmental impact from raw material to finished product. They have also received certifications from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
Notably, Bliss Natural promises to donate one pad to a woman in a rural area for every 10 pads sold. Varam, a fundraising event established by Bliss Naturals, helped raise 3.5 lakh pads and donated more than 10 lakh pads to women who cannot afford the economic burden.
While the fundraising has paused, the organisation continues to provide sanitary napkins to women through outreach programmes every month. This is done directly by the organisation and also with NGOs like Thozhargalinkaram Charitable Trust, Student Rotary Clubs, etc.
Bharanii Dharan, co-founder of Thozhargalinkaram Charitable Trust, took Bliss pads to the outskirts of Coimbatore. “Palamalai and Anaikatti are home to tribal communities. We’ve engaged in awareness campaigns and distributed organic pads in nearly 16 villages, facilitated by Bliss Natural at a subsidised rate,” Bharanii shares.
Bliss Natural actively promotes menstrual health awareness through initiatives that educate students about topics such as the frequency of pad changes, proper usage, safe disposal methods, and dietary practices during menstruation. “We provide awareness sessions for parents on how to support their children during their periods,” Niveda says.
“We’ve also created job opportunities through micro-entrepreneurship programmes. We select interested women and provide them with Bliss Pads to sell within their communities of about 50 women,” Bharanii explains.
By offering job opportunities and the chance to build a business, Bliss Naturals is fostering economic independence and empowering women to lead and inspire.
In a world where sustainability and women’s health often take a back seat, Bliss Naturals is leading the way, proving that a small idea—rooted in nature—can grow into a movement that transforms lives, communities, and the planet.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee; All image credits Bliss Naturals
