Years that Muruga spent without his wife because she could not handle the embarrassment his project caused her and left him. But Muruga did not give up. He continued to do everything to understand the needs of a woman on her period, from surveying several different women and asking for their feedback, to actually wearing a sanitary pad himself. And lo and behold, his persistence bore fruit when he finally perfected his ideas with time.

Newly wed Arunachalam Muruganantham loved his wife and looked for small and simple ways to impress her. When he discovered that she was using old rags for menstrual hygiene, he took it upon himself to create a better alternative for her.

Little did he know at the time, that this quest of his would turn into a revolution towards improved sanitary hygiene for women all over the country.

Al Jazeera English brought us the magnificent story of this man. A series of several hits and misses, along with thorough research and relentless commitment to the cause, Muruga's journey towards finding a cheap and efficient solution for menstrual hygiene spanned across four and a half years.

He has now not only made world class sanitary pads far cheaper for the common woman, but he's also created several jobs at his manufacturing plant that supplies these pads...

When his wife heard of his story, she realised the truly wonderful and dedicated man that her husband was. She contacted him for the first time after five years and now stands by him in his noble endeavour to make the Indian woman's life that little bit easier.