1. OVERVIEW
Sanitary Napkin comes under Nonwoven fabrics which as a whole come under technical textile sector. Sanitary napkins constitute a major chunk of the technical textile usage in Meditex segment.
Sanitary napkins have come a long way since their first forms as bandages. The invention of cellucotton in World War I lead to the invention of sanitary napkins. Kotex, manufactured by Kimberly-Clark, was the first incarnation of sanitary napkins after the war.
The 1ST sanitary napkins were in the form of a cotton wool or similar stringy rectangular structure, sheathed with an absorbent liner. The design of the sanitary napkins has also changed through the 1980's to today. Disposable sanitary napkins started to be available in the markets only around the year 1895.
Sanitary napkin market has huge potential in a country like India where feminine hygiene levels are reckoned to be appallingly low. A sanitary napkin is a product with a stable demand among its consumer group.
Figure 1 Region Wise Consumption of Sanitary Napkins in India
Source: Intecos-CIER
Figure 2 Indian Sanitary Napkin Industry- Segmentation
Source: Intecos – CIER
Indian sanitary napkin market which was once ruled by belted category has broken the trend and has paved way for Beltless napkins. Today beltless napkins capture ~75% of the total market.
Figure 3 Technical Textile Industry- Segmentation
1.1 Classification of the Industry
2. OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES
This segment of the report elaborates on the opportunities in India for the sanitary napkin market as well as factors restraining its growth.
2.1 Opportunities
2.1.1 Rising Urbanization
Rising level of urbanization in the nation will be one of the biggest opportunities for the sanitary napkin market in India. Urbanization often leads to improved standard of living coupled with significant changes in consumer preferences, lifestyles and thus spending patterns. Therefore, as more and more women starts occupying urban areas, the demand and consumption of sanitary napkins will see a surge.
The charts below illustrate the composition of urban population and consumption pattern of sanitary napkins in the nation.
Figure 4 Consumption Pattern of Sanitary Napkins in India
Source: Intecos-CIER
Figure 14 Sanitary Napkin Consumption in India by 2017 (At Various Penetration Levels, In Million Pieces)
Figure 15 Sanitary Napkin Exports from India (2009-13, In INR Millions)
Figure 16 Sanitary Napkin Imports to India (2009-13, In INR Millions)