Turning
surplus
into dignity.
Preeta Ghosal spent years as a social sector consultant for UN Missions in India. What she discovered in remote communities became the foundation of Banasree Sustainables.
"She uncovered a deeply overlooked reality — many women did not wear underwear. This absence shaped everyday choices, mobility, and dignity.
Driven to bridge this gap, Preeta founded Banasree Sustainables — with "Banasree," meaning forest woman in her native Bengali, symbolising the very communities that inspired her work. The initiative aims to advance intimate justice by providing affordable, accessible underwear to women in rural and underserved regions.
By combining her experience in the social impact sector with the resources of her family's garment business, Preeta built a model that is both economically viable and socially transformative — turning surplus into dignity, and an often overlooked insight into lasting change.
In Her Own
Words
A decade of
discovery
becoming action.
The Discovery
Preeta discovers that many women in remote parts of India do not wear underwear, revealing a critical but overlooked gap in menstrual hygiene and dignity.
IIMB Recognition
Banasree is selected for the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore's (IIMB) Women Startup Program, strengthening its early-stage vision.
Formally Registered
Banasree Sustainables is formally registered as a sole proprietorship — a personal commitment turned institutional.
Grassroots Research
Banasree conducts a grassroots research among women from indigenous tribal communities of Nagaland to test its hypothesis
First NGO Partner
Project Stree becomes the first NGO partner, enabling distribution in rural Gujarat.
Vogue India Award
Banasree Sustainables is awarded the Best Feminine Hygiene Innovation by Vogue India.
Menstruation Dialogue
Preeta advocates Intimate Justice to a community of activists, academicians, government & nonprofit stakeholders at the national conference organized by CDPP and the Nagaland research gets published in its Special Issue
Circular Subsidy
Model
In this model, surplus or deadstock fabric is repurposed to manufacture affordable underwear at low cost. These products are then distributed through NGO partnerships and community networks at subsidised rates. In essence, waste is transformed into a resource — creating a self-reinforcing cycle of impact and sustainability.