Many products related to women’s hygiene are sold in the market and one of these products is Sanitary Napkin. Sanitary napkin is an essential item in the women’s hygiene segment as it is required by women repeatedly on regular basis. The sanitary napkin is an absorbent product that helps to absorb and retain body fluid without causing any leakage making the user feel dry and comfortable. A sanitary napkin consists of an absorbent pad sandwiched between two sheets of nonwoven fabric, are available in various variants (different sizes and shapes) that are suitable for day and night usage. However, a universally needed product like Sanitary napkin has very low penetration in India and other developing countries, partly due to its high price and partly due to the tradition of using cheaper but unhygienic resources. It is said that around 82% of females in India lack knowledge about a sanitary napkin and only 16% have access to sanitary napkins. As a result they become the host of many infectious diseases. Limited access to safe sanitary products and facilities is believed to be one of the reasons for constrained school attendance, high dropout rates and ill health due to infection. The sanitary napkin is clearly a major global development problem, yet it presents a major market opportunity for innovative, impact driven business enterprises.

Over the past few years, the Government of India has started partnering with several private entities and non-governmental organizations to take initiatives for popularizing the use of sanitary napkins particularly among the underprivileged and rural women including exemption of tax (GST) on it. The Goods and Services (GST) rate on Sanitary Napkins has been reduced from 12 per cent to Zero (Nil) by the Govt. with the purpose to transfer the entire benefit to an end user. Bollywood’s first film on menstrual hygiene “Padman”, was promoted mainly to generate awareness and make people understand the sensitivity of the issue and spread awareness regarding its importance across the country. Likewise, interested promoters can start this business with comparatively small capital also since nowadays several low price sanitary napkin-making machines are available in the market to produce quality products at a lower price to the consumers. Generally, these plants operate in a semi-automatic manner. Adolescence girl and women living in underprivileged areas of urban/sub-urban areas including rural areas may be the potential target customers for the venture.

Indian feminine hygiene products category is one of the growing markets in the FMCG industry of the country. The feminine hygiene market is segmented mainly into a sanitary napkin, panty liner, tampon and other products. Among many such personal care products sold in the market, Sanitary napkins are the most sought after item by women. During Covid-19 lockdown, there was an unfortunate shortage of Sanitary napkins in India effecting mostly the Rural and semi-urban areas. The demand for sanitary napkin is increasing very fast. The reasons include rapid urbanization, growing middle-class people, raising awareness, growing number of working women and the increasing availability of low cost sanitary napkins in the market. Generally, these are the major growth drivers of the feminine hygiene market in India. Escalating disposable incomes will also make sanitary napkins more affordable and will contribute in augmenting its usage. Considering the importance of hygiene issues, many state governments in India has included Sanitary napkins to the list of relief materials to be distributed among women and adolescent girls affected by natural disasters. In the current scenario, the sanitary napkin segment is generating the largest revenue within the feminine hygiene market.

A Project Report is not only essential for obtaining financial assistance from Bank/ Financial Institution/Funding Agency but also the most important document either to participate in the development schemes of MSME Sector/ Department of Industries or in completing various time consuming government formalities connected with planning and commercial operation of the proposed business project.

This Detail Project Report (DPR)/ Business Plan has been developed in a well-structured PDF Format (Easy to Download, Convert into MS WORD through www.pdftoword.com, Edit for Personalised Customisation and Finally Printing the Report) to be presented as a Ready Project Proposal immediately thereby saving precious time of the promoter in the process of completing requisite formalities in anticipation of setting up the business project. Accordingly, following Project Templates has been deliberately left blank in order to facilitate customisation by the perspective entrepreneurs based on personal requirements and furnish necessary information on actual basis.

§ Project at a Glance                                     :             To be Filled Up as per Personal Requirements.

[Total Capital Expenditure, Working Capital, Estimated Cost of the Project, Amount of Bank Loan, Amount of Equity Capital and Amount of applicable Margin Money Subsidy – (Urban/Rural /General Category/ Special Category)].

§ General Information and Location          :             To be Furnished in the Blank Space.

[Name of the Unit/Firm, Address of the Proposed Project Location, Size of the Space Available and Occupancy under Ownership/Lease Agreement].

§ Promoter’s Background                            :             To be Furnished in the Blank Space.

[Name of the Promoter, Age, Communication Address, Educational Qualification, Work Experience and Special Training Attended, if Any].

 The Project Report/ Business Plan so presented include all the important aspects containing the following details;

CONTENTS

1.   Highlights of the Project

2.   Project Introduction

3.   The Project Proposal

4.   Prospect for Investment

5.   Potential Target Customers/Market

6.   Marketing Strategy

7.   Critical Success Factors

8.   Process Details and Technical Aspects

9.   Installed and Operational Capacity

10. Quality and Standards

11. Raw Materials and Consumables

12. Power and Utility

13. Tentative Implementation Schedule

14. Basis & Presumptions

15. Capital Investment Estimates with Detail Project Economics

16. Computation of Working Capital Requirement

17. Estimated Total Project Investment

18. Proposed Means of Project Financing

19. Estimated Annual Sales Turnover

20. Projected Profitability Statement

21. Calculation of Interest Amount

22. Depreciation Schedule

23. Term Loan Repayment Schedule

24. Debt Service Coverage Ratio

25. Break-Even Analysis

26. Projected Cash Flow Statement

27. Projected Balance Sheet

28. Internal Rate Return

29. Pay Back Period

The presentation also supplements with important facts and useful information covering the areas as indicated below;

1.   Statutory Permits and Business Licenses Required for the Project

2.   Important Steps to Start the Project and

3.   Tips to Identify Suitable Project Location.

LIST OF ENCLOSURES

ENCLOSURE-1: E-BOOK ON SCHEMES FOR MSMEs, MINISTRY OF MSME, GOVT. OF INDIA.

ENCLOSURE-2: SALIENT FEATURES OF MUDRA LOAN SCHEME, MINISTRY OF MSME, GOVT. OF INDIA.

ENCLOSURE-3: FAQ ON MUDRA LOAN SCHEME.

ENCLOSURE-4: BRIEF ABOUT PSB LOANS IN 59 MINUTES SCHEME.

ENCLOSURE-5: FAQ ON PSB LOANS IN 59 MINUTES SCHEME.

Thus the information provided would help in identifying in advance the infrastructure/resources required for the Project and approach the concerned government agencies accordingly. Hence, it becomes a complete document for further action towards realising the dream of becoming an entrepreneur.