Exploring Aditi Gupta’s Journey- From a Young Innovator to a Social Entrepreneur

In a sea of ambitious entrepreneurs, there are those whose talents shine quietly but brightly, embodying resilience, vision, and an unwavering commitment to making a meaningful impact. One such hidden gem is Aditi Gupta, a young, passionate, and determined entrepreneur whose journey perfectly captures the spirit of entrepreneurship at its best. In a society where menstruation is still considered taboo, Aditi Gupta, with her strong vision and innovative approach, came up with the idea of working towards eradicating the taboos and spreading awareness about menstruation in India.

She represented her remarkable idea, “Menstrupedia,” in India’s biggest entrepreneurial reality show and secured a deal from Shark Tank India judge Namita Thapar for ₹50 lakh for 20% ownership. From its beginnings as a webcomic, Menstrupedia has grown to include blogs, physical books, and other content, as well as instructional resources. Her clear vision of educating girls about periods and other changes during puberty fosters a positive change in society. This blog delves into her captivating and impactful journey, where we will shed light on her early life, inspirations, milestones achieved, and how she gained success.

Aditi Gupta: A Glimpse into Her Early Life and Inspiration

Early Life and Cultural Taboos:

Born and raised in Garhwa, Jharkhand, India, Aditi Gupta came from a conservative Indian family where she faced menstruation-related taboos due to a lack of proper awareness. She was confused and annoyed with the restrictions she had to go through during her periods, like being treated differently, not being allowed to roam in some corners of her own house, washing her clothes separately, and more. This behavior of her family irked her, and when she raised questions, she was told off sometimes and asked to stay silent. These things made her early life full of challenges and misconceptions regarding menstruation.

Lack of Awareness in School:

Even in her school days, just like many other girls in India, she was not exposed to the correct information, which led to misconceptions and myths related to menstruation. This lack of awareness further contributes to the stigma and silence around the subject.

Awakening to Knowledge:

Finally, at the age of 15, when she was in IXth standard, she got to read and know about menstruation in her school textbook. This newly acquired knowledge fueled her drive to break conventional standards and push for menstrual health awareness.

Inspiration and Support from Family:

Her personal experiences shaped her innovation and determination to bring a change to society by spreading awareness among young girls and even families about the normality of menstruation being a normal physiological process. Despite the cultural and societal norms, she got support from her family, who encouraged her to pursue her dreams and give a tangible shape to her innovative idea. After passing out from 12th she got enrolled in the engineering degree and later moved out to pursue post-graduation in New Media Design from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

Research and Innovation:

In NID, she as a Ford Foundation research scholar, started doing her research about lack of knowledge of menstruation in girls and women and how this lackness affects their lives. There, she met Tuhin Patel, now her husband, who encouraged her to go ahead with the idea and even joined hands with her to create a change in society. They researched and finally came up with the idea of “Menstrupedia,” a fun and reader-friendly Hindi comic book to educate girls about menstruation, which she created as her final project at NID.

Menstrupedia: The Birth of an Innovative Venture

Aditi Gupta gathered in-depth data from girls, doctors, and educators, which inspired her to create a fun and understandable web comic book called “Menstrupedia,” her innovative venture that gave her immense recognition, praise, and success. She, along with Tuhin Patel’s help, created this comic book in November 2012 with three young girls and a doctor as the protagonists. They left their jobs and gave complete time to creating this comic, which was finally published in 2014.

The comic book discusses the menstrual cycle, hygiene habits, and the myths and taboos around menstruation and empowers girls and women with knowledge about their bodies. The purpose of the comic was to increase awareness and understanding of menstruation and hygiene among the girls in an easy, effortless, and relaxed manner.

Aditi Gupta distributed these comics in schools in Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, and Ranchi, where the girls, their parents, and instructors all liked them greatly. She created a website and uploaded her whole comic book to the website. The popularity of Menstrupedia’s webcomic laid the groundwork for the creation of printed comic books. Her website also boasts educational materials and online resources to provide accurate information on topics related to menstruation, adolescence, hygiene, well-being, etc., in a culturally sensitive and user-friendly manner.

Not only that, but it also aims to debunk the common myths and misconceptions related to the topic to make the lives of young girls much easier. The comics are currently available in seventeen different languages. However, to increase the reach of their comic to the global audience, they also want to take their brand further by creating an app as well.

In addition to Menstrupedia, Aditi Gupta and Tuhin Patel also created “Gulu Comic “- a comic guide on puberty for boys, a Masterclass for Educators, and a Period Workshop for Parents and Daughters.

Emerging Victorious: Success, Recognition and Social Impact

Success: Worldwide Adoption

Menstrupedia became a big success as the website started getting over one lakh visitors every month. The comic book was included in the curriculum of around 75 schools across the country. Besides that, around 6000 schools, 25 NGOs, and 1.7 million girls in India have already used it, and its demand and acceptance are rising across the country. Currently, around 10,000 schools in India use this comic book as part of their curriculum.

Not only in India, but the books are also being transported to other countries like Nepal, South America, China, Uruguay, Philippines, and Nigeria after being translated into their regional languages. By now, Menstrupedia has taught over 10,000 educators and educated over 10,00,000 girls on menstruation, puberty, and cleanliness. Her comic works have been used by NGOs, including Protsahan, Instincts, Kanha, Munshi Jagannath Bhagwan Smriti Sansthan, and two Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh.

Recognition: Awards and Achievements

Menstrupedia has achieved international recognition for its creative approach to menstrual education, as well as rewards and accolades for its positive influence on the health of girls and women. Aditi Gupta’s outstanding work earned her a spot in Forbes India’s list of 30 under 30 in 2014 for her efforts to raise awareness about menstruation. Aditi Gupta was also featured in TIME Magazine in 2016. The comic has also received the “Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity” hosted at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in April 2016. Her work has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNBC, and BBC.

In 2015, she was named one of the BBC’s 100 most powerful women. She has been invited to seven nations to share the model for her menstrual health and awareness work. She was honored by Business Today with the BT Most Powerful Women Impact Awards for her efforts to change society. In 2019, the comic was published in Vogue Japan’s section highlighting female power in Asia.

Later, both of them appeared in India’s Biggest entrepreneurial reality show, Shark Tank, in Season 1 Episode 6. They presented their ideas and work and managed to secure a deal from Namita Thapar, CEO of Emcure Pharmaceuticals and Shark Tank India judge, for ₹50 lakh for 20% ownership.

Social Impact: Catalyst for Change

Menstrupedia has collaborated with Whisper India on a number of projects, including the Touch the Pickle campaign, which features celebrities such as Shraddha Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin, Parineeti Chopra, Neha Dhupia, and Mandira Bedi.

Menstrupedia has significantly contributed to menstrual education among young girls and women through blogs, comics, workshops, and other resources. It has made this topic normal to discuss, especially in societies where it is considered taboo, leading to various myths and misconceptions. Lack of knowledge leads to many health problems like infections and reproductive complications. By providing accurate information, it saves the lives of many girls who catch diseases due to lack of knowledge in this area. It also empowers girls and women to advocate for their rights and address and open up on the issues related to menstrual health and hygiene. It played a pivotal role in causing a cultural shift by normalizing conversations about menstruation and well-being. The initiative continues to grow and broaden its reach, assisting in breaking the taboo and shame around menstruation in India and abroad.

Scaling Up: From Innovation to Social Entrepreneurship

Menstrupedia began as a project and gradually evolved into a sustainable corporation. An idea that began with an intention to infuse knowledge about the topic and promote education transformed into one of the most innovative projects that gained high appreciation and support from every community.

She even faced challenges like taboos and criticism, language barriers, financial constraints, and partnership building. However, its impact and effectiveness became so popular that it got partnership invitations from schools, NGOs, governments, or other stakeholders interested in menstrual health education. Overtime, it aims to strike a balance between social impact and financial viability.

The sale of educational materials, Workshops and Training Programs, Partnerships and Collaborations, Grants and Funding, Online Advertising and Sponsorship, Product Sales and Merchandising are some of its revenue sources. To ensure long-term success, Aditi Gupta has expanded its offerings and delved into adjacent areas of influence, to meet the changing needs of its audience.

Conclusion

Aditi Gupta’s journey from a young innovator to a social entrepreneur is a remarkable story of dedication, commitment, and a passion for making a difference in society. Irked by the challenges and stigma she faced, she came up with the innovative idea of Menstrupedia, a webcomic that aims to educate young girls and women on Menstruation and hygiene. A revolutionary idea transformed a young innovator into one of the biggest Social Entrepreneurs who gained immense success and recognition in society. She became the voice of many young girls who face indifferent behavior due to lack of awareness and won many awards and achievements in her life for her work. From winning a spot in Forbes India’s list of 30 under 30 to collaborating with schools, NGOs, and hospitals, her story serves as an inspiration to aspiring changemakers worldwide.