Coimbatore: Arunachalam Muruganandam, widely known as India's 'Padman,' confirmed that his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize has been accepted by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, placing him among 208 individuals in contention for the honour.
Speaking to TOI, Muruganandam said the nomination is a recognition not just of his personal journey, but of the larger movement to break menstrual taboos and improve access to affordable sanitary products for women, especially in rural India. Hailing from Coimbatore, Muruganandam rose to prominence for his low-cost sanitary napkin-making machines, an innovation that transformed menstrual hygiene awareness and created livelihood opportunities for women's self-help groups across the country. His work challenged deep-rooted stigma surrounding menstruation and brought a neglected public health issue into mainstream discussion. His life and work earlier inspired the Hindi film Pad Man, which helped popularise his story among wider audiences.
Dr R Venkatesh, chief medical officer at Aravind Eye Hospital in Puducherry, revealed that the nomination was initiated by Ram Ramanujam, a US-based long-time admirer of Muruganandam. Ramanujam reached out to several associates who are eligible to submit nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. Recognising the significance of the cause, many responded positively and submitted the nomination for Padman. Dr Venkatesh added that the nomination was submitted in September 2025, and the acknowledgement from the Nobel Committee was received subsequently.
Arunachalam Muruganandam stated, 'I came to know that the nomination was accepted by the Nobel Committee two months back.' He also mentioned that he is in talks with major production houses in London and the USA for making a Hollywood movie based on his biopic.
