Northern Railways and Indus Towers Expand Menstrual Hygiene Access at 175 Stations

New Delhi: A major push to improve menstrual hygiene access across India's railway network has seen telecom infrastructure giant Indus Towers partner with Northern Railways to roll out 500 sanitary napkin dispensers. The machines are now operational at 175 railway stations spanning the Delhi, Firozpur, Ambala, Moradabad, and Lucknow divisions.

The vending machines, part of Indus Towers' Nari Samman program, operate 24 hours a day and offer sanitary napkins to women travelers at no cost. Equipped with Internet of Things monitoring technology, the machines have already distributed approximately 3 crore sanitary napkins since their installation began.

The Nari Samman initiative sits within Indus Towers' broader Pragati corporate social responsibility framework, which aims to create sustainable pathways for awareness, access, and community engagement. The program aligns with the Government of India's Menstrual Hygiene Scheme under the National Health Mission, supporting national objectives to enhance menstrual health awareness and product accessibility.

Rajesh Kumar Pandey, General Manager at Northern Railways, emphasised the significance of the collaboration. "Indian Railways carries millions of passengers daily, including millions of women and girls who rely on our services for employment, schooling, and medical needs," he stated. "Prioritising their comfort, safety, and dignity is central to our mission. Working with Indus Towers represents a meaningful commitment to fostering inclusive and supportive public spaces for women, reflecting our dedication to embedding social benefits into our infrastructure."

Tejinder Kalra, Chief Operating Officer of Indus Towers Ltd., highlighted the company's technical expertise in executing the project. "Our capacity to deploy and operate technology-driven, dependable solutions at scale is evident in this partnership with one of India's most utilised railway zones," he remarked. "We apply the same standards of rigour and dedication to social infrastructure as we do to our core business. By weaving access into the fabric of everyday public spaces like railway stations, we help ensure that dignity becomes an integral part of the daily commute."

The initiative complements existing efforts by Indian Railways to enhance travel experiences for women, which include dedicated coaches, improved sanitation facilities, and upgraded station amenities. By incorporating menstrual hygiene infrastructure into this broader ecosystem of women-focused services, the program tackles a significant gap in public facility provision.

The partnership is part of Indus Towers' wider commitment to enhance the lives of more than 150 million people by 2030 through its social responsibility initiatives.