The Brief

Iodine deficiency is a problem that plagues most of rural India. Women suffer the most and are often the victims of Breast Cancer, Fibrocystic Breast Disease and complications during pregnancy. And even though supplements in the form of pills are available, women weren’t in the habit of consuming them. A simple yet non-intrusive solution was needed urgently. Almost every Indian woman wears a bindi - a traditional symbol of beauty. But we realized that these tiny little dots could do more. They could save lives. Talwar Bindis, in association with Neelvasant Medical Foundation and Research Centre, introduced The Life Saving Dot, Jeevan Bindi – an idea that transformed bindis into iodine patches.

The Life Saving Dots were distributed to thousands of women across rural India via health camps and clinics, helping them battle an iodine deficiency. More importantly, in a nation of 500 million women, these tiny little dots were no longer just a symbol of beauty; they now spelt the difference between life and death.

The challenge was to find a clever and non-intrusive way of giving these women the required dosage of iodine. We tapped into local culture and customs and realized that almost every Indian woman wears a bindi - a traditional symbol of beauty. So we asked ourselves, what if these tiny little dots could do more? What if they could save lives?