In India, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every four minutes. Every eight minutes, another woman dies from it. Despite this, breast health remains a taboo subject many families avoid discussing, particularly in smaller towns and rural parts of the country.
For many women, health checks are not ignored out of neglect but pushed aside because everyday life leaves little room for preventive care. Long workdays, household responsibilities, and caregiving often take precedence, and personal health becomes something to address only when a problem becomes visible.
This is the context in which The Pink Tag Project was conceived.
Finding Awareness in the Ordinary
Launched under the third edition of Sanjeevani: United Against Cancer, an initiative by the Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation in collaboration with the News18 Network and Tata Trusts, the project looks for moments that already exist in women’s daily lives rather than asking them to create new ones.
One such moment is getting dressed- often one of the few times in the day when a woman is alone and not multitasking.
A campaign film that connects
As a part of this campaign, a powerful short film has been launched that shows perfectly conveys the core message and raises awareness about breast cancer in a refreshing manner.
Narrated by actor Sheeba Chaddha, the film avoids dramatic recreations or heightened storytelling. Instead, it follows women through routine activities- fetching water, sweeping courtyards, preparing meals, and getting ready for the day.
Film to be embedded here
There is no immediate reveal. The pink tag appears quietly, during the act of dressing, almost easy to miss. When it is noticed, it does not trigger alarm, but curiosity.
The tag itself resembles a regular wash-care label, stitched inside blouses, kurtas, and innerwear. Printed on it are clear steps for a self-breast examination.
The film shows women pausing briefly to read it. Some ask questions later. Others mention it to family members. Local volunteers help explain the steps when needed.
The reminder does not interrupt their day. It sits within it.
How Conversations Take Shape
As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the tag works less as an instruction and more as a conversation starter.
Daughters point it out to mothers. Grandmothers ask what it means. What begins as a small moment during dressing slowly extends into the household.
The film does not present this as transformation. It presents it as possibility.
How This Approach Is Different
Health awareness campaigns often rely on visibility- posters, announcements, and public messaging. The Pink Tag Project takes a quieter route by placing information in a private space, accessible only to the person it is meant for.
As M V S Murthy, Chief Marketing Officer of Federal Bank, explains in the context of the initiative, the intent was to create an intervention that works through consistency and empathy rather than urgency or scale.
Talking about the initiative, M V S Murthy, Chief Marketing Officer of Federal Bank said, “At Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation, we believe that real change doesn’t come from heightened campaigns. it comes from interventions that whisper, consistently, intimately, and with empathy.
The Pink Tag Project is a testament to the power of behavioral design. By partnering with local tailors and volunteers, we’ve turned a simple garment into a life-saving tool. This is not charity – this is empowerment.
This is about meeting women where they are, in their daily lives, and giving them the agency to protect themselves. When self-care becomes routine, survival becomes possible. The Pink Tag Project, underlines the consistency of our approach to communities. Always for a reason, consistent and long term. “
“At Network18, reach matters, but participation matters more. Our cause work is rooted in real human insight—understanding how people live, what they notice, and what stays with them. The Pink Tag Project, as part of our Sanjeevani initiative, turns a small design gesture into a sustained reminder for early breast cancer detection. It is not disruptive; it is lived.
And when communities engage with a message every day, change doesn’t demand attention-it becomes habit.” said Sidharth Saini, COO of News18 Studios.
Making Preventive Care Less Intimidating
By embedding breast health information into everyday clothing, the project reduces the formality often associated with medical advice. Self-examination is framed as something familiar rather than clinical, making it easier to adopt over time.
The film reinforces this by staying rooted in ordinary life rather than highlighting outcomes or impact metrics.
The Logical Indian Take
Public health communication is most effective when it reflects lived realities. For many Indian women, health awareness fails not because of lack of information, but because it does not align with how their days are structured.
Sanjeevani’s Pink Tag Project offers a reminder that behavioural change can begin quietly, through design choices that respect time, privacy, and social context. The film supports this idea by showing awareness not as an event, but as something that slips gently into daily routine.
Sometimes, lasting change does not begin with attention, it begins with acceptance.
