How Nua Turned Period Taboos into a Thriving Wellness Movement in India

In 2017, a simple question sparked a revolution in women's wellness. Ravi Ramachandran watched the women in his life—his mother, wife, sister, and school-going daughter—power through their days despite period cramps and discomfort. Wellness, especially self-care during menstruation, always took a backseat. His daughter had to deal with cramps while attending school. Working women had to power through the day with their periods, then return home to more responsibilities.

That observation became the seed of something bigger.

Together with co-founders Projjol Banerjea, Swathi Kulkarni, and Abhishek Ramanathan, Ramachandran founded Nua in Mumbai. The mission was clear but audacious: transform women's wellness in India by starting with menstrual health—a topic that remained taboo even in 21st century India.

Beginning with a Different Kind of Pad

Nua's story began with a pad. But not just any pad that could be picked off the shelves. The founders realized that existing products treated menstruation as merely a hygiene problem requiring absorption. The conversation around menstruation—when it existed—was focused entirely on the product, not on the person.

This insight was critical. Ramachandran points out that branded sanitary napkins had only managed to reach about 30 percent of India's population. Here was an opportunity to change the narrative, both in terms of product and conversation.

Nua launched with innovative, toxin-free sanitary pads—completely free from dioxins, print, and bleach. What set them apart was their commitment to customization. Women could customize their pad boxes based on individual needs, receiving recurring doorstep deliveries at their chosen frequency. This wasn't just convenient; it was respectful of women's time and priorities.

The brand became the first in India to develop a sanitary pad with a paper-based disposable cover. Every design specification was carefully thought through, with Nua investing in tooling to ensure their vision materialized exactly as intended, even while working with third-party manufacturers.

The Community-Driven Approach

But Nua soon realized something crucial. The need for safe and effective products went beyond just pads. So they did something revolutionary—they asked the women in their community to tell them what they were looking for.

This community-driven approach became Nua's secret weapon. The brand built a vibrant community that grew from the initial few thousand to over 400,000 women. These weren't just customers; they were co-creators of the brand.

Through surveys and focus group discussions, Nua understood the full journey women go through. The result was a holistic product range that addressed real problems: India's first self-heating menstrual cramp patch called Cramp Comfort, foaming intimate wash, ultra-thin 1mm everyday liners, period panties, menstrual cups, and Uplift—a period nutrition drink mix.

Every product launch at Nua followed a rigorous three-pronged approach: understanding customer preferences through surveys and focus groups, developing science-backed formulations, and ensuring Made Safe Certification.

Breaking the Taboo Through Stories

Nua's mission extended beyond products. The brand was determined to normalize menstruation and create spaces where women could talk about wellness without inhibitions.

They opted for storytelling content delivered by carefully selected macro-influencers across different regions. The goal wasn't just brand awareness but societal change in how people talked about periods. Some campaigns delivered over 70 million views, spreading awareness across India.

On Valentine's Day, Nua launched the campaign PeriodPartners, highlighting that periods aren't just a "you" affair but can be an "our" affair—making the experience more bearable physically and emotionally for both women and their partners. The campaign resonated deeply, amassing millions of views and high-quality engagement.

Backing from Believers

The brand's authentic approach attracted serious investors and industry veterans. Vindi Banga, former Chairman and CEO of Hindustan Unilever, and Jay Jayaraman, former Managing Director of Colgate-Palmolive India, came on board as angel investors.

A major milestone arrived when actress Deepika Padukone's family office invested in Nua during the pre-Series B funding round in 2021, which raised 7.1 million dollars. Padukone also became the brand ambassador, lending her voice to normalizing conversations around menstruation. The investment team appreciated Nua's consistency and the thoughtfulness behind every decision—from product design to packaging.

Over subsequent funding rounds, Nua raised a total of 21.5 million dollars from investors including Lightbox VC, Kae Capital, and most recently, Mirabilis Investment Trust, which led a 35 crore rupees pre-Series C round in early 2025.

The Growth Trajectory

What started as a direct-to-consumer brand became one of India's largest and most engaged digital-first women's wellness platforms. The timing proved perfect. When Nua launched in 2017, there were an estimated 75 million Indians shopping online. By fiscal year 2020, the number jumped to over 100 million.

But Nua's success wasn't just about riding the e-commerce wave. The brand built genuine loyalty through personalization, subscription models, and community engagement. Their repeat rates became among the highest in the industry.

The past year marked exceptional growth for Nua. The company became EBITDA positive in Q2 of fiscal year 2025 and crossed 100 crore rupees in net revenue annual recurring run rate in Q3. The brand grew its revenue by over 2.5 times, all while achieving profitability—a rare feat in the startup ecosystem.

Expanding the Wellness Ecosystem

Over the past year, Nua introduced new product segments emphasizing comfort and toxin-free formulations. The range expanded to include extra-long night pads, disposable period panties, menstrual cups, and post-partum care products. Each addition was driven by community feedback and real needs.

The products became available not just on Nua's website but across major e-commerce platforms including Zepto, Amazon, and Flipkart. The brand also invested in retail expansion and quick commerce channels, meeting women wherever they preferred to shop.

Nua positioned itself clearly in the market: "We are not a sanitary pad brand; we are a menstrual wellness brand." This distinction mattered. While competitors focused on products, Nua focused on the person—offering not just physical comfort but emotional support, education, and community.

The Bigger Vision

Ramachandran often highlights a striking statistic: women bleed for 60,000 hours of their life. According to the World Economic Forum, addressing the additional health burden women face could boost the global economy by at least one trillion dollars by 2040. If solutions could make these hours comfortable for women at work, the economic impact would be transformative.

Nua sees itself as part of this solution. The brand prioritizes creating a superior and holistic experience for women by offering safe, high-quality products, engaging content, and fostering a strong community—key factors that have helped differentiate it in a rapidly growing market.

What Lies Ahead

Nua is now one of the top brands in the premium segment across all marketplaces it operates in. The company plans to continue investing in new products, content, and emerging distribution channels to accelerate momentum over the next six to eight quarters.

The global feminine hygiene products market is expected to reach approximately 66.7 billion dollars by 2033, up from 31.8 billion dollars in 2023. India's market within this space is growing rapidly, driven by increasing awareness, urbanization, and the breaking down of taboos around menstruation.

For Nua, the journey that began with understanding one simple truth—that the women in our lives deserve better—has transformed into a movement. From a startup founded in Mumbai in 2017 to a profitable, high-growth wellness brand in 2025, Nua has proven that when you center products around people rather than just problems, when you build communities rather than just customer bases, and when you tackle taboos with honest conversations, you create something far more valuable than a business.

You create change.

And in a country where menstrual wellness was at the lowest pecking order of health priorities, that change is revolutionary.