Millions of women across rural India suffer from Breast Cancer, Fibrocystic Breast Disease and complications during pregnancy.

Most of these cases are linked to an Iodine deficiency.

Supplements in the form of pills are available, but women weren’t in the habit of consuming them.

The brief, therefore, was to conceive a non-intrusive way to dispense the required dosage of iodine to women across rural India.

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.

Every woman requires between 150 – 220 micrograms of iodine daily.

During the course of the day, these bindis dispensed that amount to the wearer.

Specially created, these life saving dots were distributed to women across rural India via health camps and clinics.

Since rural India is a male-dominated society, activities conducted in villages need the approval of the headmen (the ‘Sarpanch’, as they are referred to locally).

Because these preventive measures were disguised like a traditional symbol of beauty, it was not met any opposition from the local governing body.

The Life Saving Dot is being distributed to thousands of women across rural India on a regular basis via health camps and clinics.

Rural India is a male-dominated society. And even though the women here work harder than the men, it’s the men that are given first priority at meal times. After feeding the children and the elders, there’s little left for the women, leaving them undernourished. As a result, many of these women develop an iodine deficiency. This gives rise to health related issues such as Breast Cancer, Fibrocystic Breast Disease and complications during pregnancy.

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?