Indian 'sanitary pad' man praised on Twitter for invention

An Indian man, who spent five years studying women's sanitary pads, has been praised on Twitter for his invention to produce them cheaply.

Arunachalam Muruganantham has been hailed as a "hero" on social media site, as users are calling him the hero for women in poverty and are also saying that he deserves a Nobel Prize for his invention, the Daily Star reported.

Muruganantham decided that the pads must be made of something other than the cotton and developed a low-cost way to break down cellulose, a material from the bark of a tree, into a fluffy substance and press it into the shape of a pad.

He has developed 250 machines in 18 months and has trained young women and girls to use them.

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology have also entered him for a national innovation award.