KOCHI: The sanitary napkin disposal machine manufacturing companies are sensing big business opportunity from the recent strip search incident at the Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) here.
The incident at Asma Rubber Products Ltd in which women staff were allegedly strip-searched after a used sanitary napkin was found in a toilet, is being seen as an opportunity to market and sell napkin disposal machines by various manufacturers. According to company officials, the response they got from various institutions is encouraging.
“We have approached many companies and institutions like schools, colleges, ladies hostel, hotels, railway station, IT hub, shipyard and government offices seeking to install sanitary napkin disposal machines and response was great. The incident helped people understand the significance of such machines,” said Sasikumar, managing director, Blaze Hygienic Devices Pvt Ltd, a Kozhikode-based manufacturer.
“The demand for the product has sky-rocketed during the last three months. Earlier, we could sell only one to two machines a month, but now it has risen to 25-30 a month,” he said.
“The strip search incident triggered a controversy but also created awareness among people,” said Saju E T, proprietor, Wager Hygiene India Limited. Chennai-based Parishudh Eco Concepts Pvt Ltd said orders are pouring from other cities as well. “In Kochi alone we could distribute as many 20 napkin disposal machines last month, whereas in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, the number is 14 and 16 respectively. We are also getting a lot of orders for the household disposal machines,” Jayaraj added. One of the beneficiaries of the machine is the Ernakulam District Panchayat where over 30-35 women staff work.
“Earlier, our women staff had a hard time disposing napkins. But the machine has come as a relief. Now we are planning to install them in schools too. So far, we have installed around 100 such machines,” said Ernakulam district panchayat vice president Bindhu George.