Amazon India Expands Menstrual Hygiene Initiative Through Partnerships With Women Entrepreneurs

Amazon India has announced three new partnerships designed to amplify the reach of its community-driven menstrual hygiene initiative, enabling women-led enterprises to scale their operations across the country.

The e-commerce giant has signed Memorandums of Understanding with Pinkishe Foundation, She & WE – Women Entrepreneurship Foundation, and Vedanshi Foundation to facilitate the expansion of 'Prayatna'—a program whose name means "effort" in Hindi. The initiative brings together menstrual health education, affordable product access, entrepreneurship support, and sustainable waste management practices.

Through the new collaborations facilitated by Amazon Saheli, the company's seller enablement program for women entrepreneurs, approximately 500 women business owners under Prayatna will gain assistance in joining Amazon's marketplace, establishing national customer bases, and scaling their enterprises.

"We believe in contributing meaningfully to the communities where we operate," said Salim Rafik Memon, Director – Operations, Amazon India. "Through Prayatna, we are working to improve menstrual health awareness, increase access to hygiene products, and support women-led enterprises. We are excited to collaborate with Pinkishe Foundation, She & We Foundation and the Vedanshi Foundation through Amazon Saheli. This will help women entrepreneurs expand their businesses, connect with more customers across India, and create greater impact within their communities."

The Prayatna program operates manufacturing facilities located near Amazon's operational hubs in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, currently supporting three units that collectively employ approximately 500 women across production, retail, and community engagement roles. These facilities produce an array of menstrual care products, including biodegradable sanitary pads, maternity pads, panty liners, reusable cloth alternatives, and other hygiene essentials.

Until now, products manufactured through the initiative have been distributed locally within communities and at Amazon fulfillment centres. The new partnership agreements will make these items available to customers nationwide via Amazon.in, significantly broadening market access for participating entrepreneurs.

The program's impact has grown substantially. During 2025, Prayatna reached over 270,000 women and girls across more than 130 villages and 14 Indian cities. The initiative is positioned to expand further, with targets to serve more than 400,000 women and girls throughout 2026.