Pricey periods: Meet Devidutta Dash who breaks stereotypes about menstruation through 'Lemme Be'
HYDERABAD: Periods don’t just give us cramps, mood swings and irritability, they also cost us a fortune. An Indian woman spends about Rs 300 per month buying pads or tampons, almost equating to around Rs 1.44 lakh in the menstrual age that lasts for 40 years.
Several menstrual hygiene brands today are doing a commendable job at breaking stereotypes. But, Hyderabad-based brand Lemme Be besides breaking stereotypes about menstruation and offering top-notch menstrual hygiene products is striving to help women save money.
CE connects with the founder and CEO Devidutta Dash, who talks about the need for sustainable period care and how they’re getting there.
Mentioning the idea behind Lemme Be, Devidutta shares, “The market is huge but the competition does not bother us. The biggest challenge has been the entry into the market as there are brands that have existed and ruled the market for years now. Women do not want to spend more than 200 rupees for something as basic as period care and rightly so, that was a challenge we wanted to take by the horns.”
Lemme Be’s recently launched product, ‘Z Drip Max’, is an eco-friendly and reusable leak-proof period underwear for all menstruators. It saves menstruators up to 6 months’ worth of traditional pads/tampons.
“In metro cities like Hyderabad, women are increasingly opting for sustainable menstrual hygiene products. Like a period alternative, there is a lot of improvement in adapting to sustainable products. In the next decade, I don’t see women who do not use a menstrual cup or menstrual underwear. No one can stop the users, use a better product eventually,” said Devidutta.
“Thankfully, Gen Z doesn’t mind figuring out their period journey, and we, as a brand, want to target them to be the change. Our products allow young girls to choose better quality and sustainable products,” she noted.
Talking about how different Lemme Be is, from other brands, she says, “We are both innovative and inclusive. We include every menstruator in our product. Cis or trans, all are welcome. When we heard stories of girls being embarrassed in class during their period we heard them and designed period underwear that doesn’t require them to carry it in their bag but wear it without any leakage problem. So we’re a brand that listens.”
Devidutta’s mom has been her biggest inspiration who dedicated her life to social work and pushed her kids to volunteer for such deeds. “She is 60 now but still works for the betterment of people,” she shares. In the near future, Devidutta hopes to grow to a point where they will be competing with other period care brands and focus on a much larger audience.