Ritva Foundation India

What Ritva Foundation India does

Ritva Foundation India is a non-profit, non-governmental organization operating in the menstrual health and sustainable menstruation space across India. Founded in 2019 by a team of young activists and officially registered as an NGO in 2020 under the #joinUN75 banner aligned with the United Nations' 75th anniversary, the organization is headquartered in Delhi (110025) with documented field operations concentrated in Bhopal and villages across Madhya Pradesh. The organization's core proposition addresses two linked problems: (i) lack of sanitary pad access for the majority of India's 336 million menstruating women (only 121 million have access, per its own website figures) and (ii) the resulting environmental burden of approximately 12.3 billion discarded pads annually contributing to marine pollution. Its work is organized around a codified "Agenda 21" framework spanning 21 objectives that cover product availability, education, policy advocacy, environmental impact, mental health, gender inclusivity, and rights-based positioning under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

The organization's "product" portfolio comprises biodegradable sanitary pads, a Reusable Sanitary Pads Programme that teaches rural women to manufacture their own pads, Village Awareness Camps, school-based "Campaigns for Classroom" gender-sensitivity education (Classes I–V), and ancillary yoga/meditation classes. Signature campaigns include UNplastic Menstruation (sustainable product adoption and Swadeshi-aligned brand support), FIGHT RED CAMPAIGN (2019 fundraising event series), PAD PANDEMIC (COVID-era reusable pad push), and Ritva ki Rai (digital/online awareness). The go-to-market is grassroots community-led, with no commercial revenue model; all services are provided free of charge and funding is generated through community events, donations, and volunteer-driven fundraising. Distribution is direct: village drives, awareness camps, school programs, and social media. The organization partners with at least one allied NGO (Dijvajeevan) for joint camps and explicitly identifies home-grown eco-friendly brands for endorsement, but does not own or operate any manufacturing, distribution, or digital platform infrastructure.

Name

Ritva Foundation India

Legal name

RITVA FOUNDATION

Website

https://ritvafoundation.wordpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ritva Foundation India is a non-profit NGO that promotes sustainable menstruation and menstrual health awareness across India, providing biodegradable pads, reusable pad-making training, and rural outreach to underserved women, school children, and marginalized populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Menstrual Health Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA), WASH & Public Health (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) (BPADAIAG), Menstrual Pads (Reusable/Cloth) (CRABAIAB)

Keywords

• Menstrual health awareness
• Sustainable menstruation
• Biodegradable sanitary pads
• Rural hygiene education
• Gender sensitivity campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Ritva Foundation raises funds through events such as the FIGHT RED CAMPAIGN (May 2019) which featured 6 fundraising events including debate, singing, painting, dance, and photography competitions. Funds collected are used for village drives and providing sanitary napkins in rural areas.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ritva Foundation India is a non-profit NGO that makes biodegradable sanitary pads available to women across India and runs awareness campaigns, village drives, and educational camps on sustainable menstrual hygiene. The organization teaches rural populations to make reusable sanitary pads for self-consumption and economic empowerment, while simultaneously advocating for menstrual health as a human right and promoting gender sensitivity education.

Product overview

Ritva Foundation India is a non-profit NGO operating as a single unified offering focused on sustainable menstruation awareness and women's rural empowerment. The core products include biodegradable sanitary pads aimed at addressing the menstrual waste crisis in India (12.3 billion pads annually), combined with a Reusable Sanitary Pads Programme that teaches rural women to make their own pads for economic self-sufficiency. Supporting offerings include Yoga and Meditation Classes at various levels, Village Awareness Camps for on-ground outreach, and the UNplastic Menstruation Campaign as their signature awareness initiative. Additional programmes like Campaigns for Classroom and Ritva ki Rai (online awareness) extend their reach. The organization structures its work around education, product access, and advocacy to achieve sustainable and safe menstruation for all.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UNplastic Menstruation: Signature campaign to initiate awareness and action for sustainable menstruation, urging people to shift to sustainable products like reusable sanitary pads.
• Ritva ki Rai
• PAD PANDEMIC CAMPAIGN

Products and services

• Biodegradable Sanitary Pads Eco-friendly biodegradable sanitary pads distributed to women in India to address the 12.3 billion pads of annual menstrual waste and reduce marine pollution while promoting women's health.
• Reusable Sanitary Pads Training Programme Educational programme that teaches rural populations to make their own reusable sanitary pads, supporting economic empowerment and self-consumption as part of sustainable women rural empowerment initiatives.
• Menstrual Health Awareness Camps On-ground awareness camps in city outskirts and slums (such as Kolar Road, Bhopal) that teach participants to make reusable pads and provide menstrual health and hygiene education to underserved populations.
• Campaigns for Classroom (Gender Sensitivity Education) Educational program conducted in government schools to teach gender sensitivity and gender neutrality to students in classes I–V, cultivating awareness and free-thinking from an early age.
• Yoga and Meditation Classes Classes and courses offered at beginner and advanced levels, including special limited edition sessions of prenatal yoga, children's yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DijvajeevanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Dijvajeevan for a menstrual health and hygiene awareness camp on March 8, 2020 (International Women's Day) at Kolar Road, Bhopal. The partnership also included providing free dental check-ups to everyone in the area in addition to menstrual health awareness.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Goonj: Large Indian NGO that runs a dedicated 'Not Just a Piece of Cloth' menstrual-hygiene program distributing cloth pads in rural India. Comparable as a non-profit focused on menstrual-health access for underserved women, though significantly larger and broader in scope than Ritva.
• Procter & Gamble India (Whisper): Indian arm of P&G, marketer of the Whisper sanitary-pad brand and one of the largest commercial players in India's menstrual-hygiene category. Comparable as a category-shaping incumbent whose distribution and pricing set the baseline Ritva's sustainable alternatives compete against.
• Unicharm India: Indian arm of Japanese hygiene major Unicharm, marketer of Sofy brand sanitary pads and a major commercial incumbent in India's menstrual-hygiene market. Relevant as a well-capitalized counterpart whose market reach and pricing define the affordability gap Ritva is trying to address.

Direct peers

• EcoFemme: India-based social enterprise producing and selling reusable cloth menstrual pads combined with menstrual-health education. Direct peer because both organizations promote reusable pads and rural women's empowerment through awareness and training.
• Menstrupedia: India-based social enterprise focused on menstrual-health education through books, comics, and a digital platform. Direct peer on the menstrual-health awareness and education mission that is central to Ritva's village drives and school programs.
• Saathi Eco Innovations: India-based social enterprise that manufactures biodegradable, compostable sanitary pads from banana fiber. Directly comparable to Ritva's biodegradable-pad distribution and UNplastic Menstruation campaign focus.
• Aakar Innovations: Indian social enterprise producing low-cost compostable sanitary pads and employing women from underserved communities. Direct peer given the overlap in low-cost biodegradable pads plus rural women's economic empowerment.
• SheWings Foundation: India-based NGO that distributes free biodegradable sanitary pads and runs menstrual-health awareness drives in rural and underserved areas. Direct peer given the shared donation-distribution-plus-awareness model and the focus on rural women.

Others

• Dasra (Social Impact Investment): Indian philanthropic advisory and capacity-building intermediary that supports nonprofits in health, gender, and WASH, including menstrual health. Comparable as a strategic intermediary that shapes the funding ecosystem Ritva would need to access to scale beyond its current donation-only model.

Regional players

• Billion Rising / V-Day India: Global campaign with a strong India footprint that runs awareness events on gender-based issues including menstruation. Comparable as a campaign-driven, volunteer-powered awareness organization but with a broader gender-violence focus than Ritva's menstrual-health specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ritva-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ritva Foundation India