Arunachalam Muruganantham built a machine that makes low-cost sanitary pads. “It all started because I wanted to create a good sanitary napkin for my wife,” he told NPR. He tested the pads himself, using a bladder filled with animal blood. NPR compared his machine to a kitchen blender.
Imported machines cost about 3.5 crore rupees. The sources differ on the cost of his. Wikipedia gives 65,000 rupees. NPR gives about $1,500. In 2016 he received the Padma Shri. The 2018 film Pad Man is based on his story.