Turning Everyday Moments Into Life-Saving Reminders
A groundbreaking behavioral change initiative that empowers women through an intimate, everyday reminder stitched inside their garments
The third edition of Sanjeevani: United Against Cancer – a transformative initiative by Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation, News18 Network, and knowledge partner Tata Trusts, launches The Pink Tag Project, a pioneering behavioral change campaign that meets women in their most personal, intimate moments to remind them that self-care is not a luxury – it is survival.
A Wake Up Call.
In India, every four minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. Every eight minutes, a woman loses her life to the disease. In small towns and villages where awareness remains low and stigma run high, conversations around breast health are almost non-existent. Women rarely find time for themselves – caught between household chores, earning livelihoods, and caring for families. Until a crisis forces their hand, their personal health remains invisible, postponed, forgotten.
A Tag that Tugs
The Pink Tag Project is born from a single insight: the most intimate moment in a woman’s day – when she gets dressed – can become the most powerful reminder to check her own health.
The solution is elegantly simple. A small, pink-colored tag with clear instructions for self-breast examination is stitched inside every blouse, kurta, or innerwear – right next to the wash-care tag. Placed exactly where women are alone, focused entirely on themselves, the Pink Tag becomes an unavoidable, intimate reminder. Not a campaign that demands their time or attention, nor a seminar they need to attend. Just a whisper, stitched into the fabric of their daily lives.
Stitching Awareness, One Garment at a Time
The Pink Tag Project is documented in a powerful short film that captures the journey from insight to action. Voiced by acclaimed actor Sheeba Chaddha, the film opens with the harsh reality – every four minutes, a woman in India is diagnosed with breast cancer, yet the silence in small towns is deafening. It shows women doing what they do every day: drawing water, sweeping courtyards, preparing meals, getting dressed.
An unintrusive reminder
Then comes the revelation. In that intimate moment – fastening blouse hooks, adjusting saree pleats, slipping into a kurta – the Pink Tag appears. A quiet, persistent reminder. Women notice. They read. They ask questions. Local volunteers, trained and trusted, explain. Families talk. Daughters show it to mothers. Granddaughters remind grandmothers. What began as a curiosity becomes a conversation becomes a movement.
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
“Working on the Sanjeevani initiative allowed us to do a deep dive into the behavioral aspects of people, particularly from the cancer screening perspective. Nobody has time to go for a screening, let alone women who barely manage time for their own wellbeing. That is when we discovered a moment when they would be alone and focused on themselves: when they’re dressing up. It’s an everyday moment. We knew that all we got to do is embed our life-saving messaging right there, for them to acknowledge self-care and to also do a quick self-check. The Pink Tag Project isn’t just a campaign; it’s a behavioral change effort presented as a simple garment tag. The initial response has been overwhelming – not because it’s flashy, but because it’s real, it’s relevant, and it’s woven into their lives, literally,” said Surojit Sen, Co-founder and CEO, Huddlers Innovation Private Limited.
The Behavioral Shift
The Pink Tag Project triggers three critical behavioral changes:
First, it normalizes the conversation. When a woman sees the tag, she’s forced to confront what she’s been avoiding – the reality that breast health is her responsibility. Local volunteers – women from the same neighborhoods, speaking the same language, understanding the same fears – make these conversations safe, credible, and deeply human. The tag becomes a conversation starter, not a cause for alarm.
Second, it embeds early detection into routine. Every time a woman gets dressed, she is reminded. Not just once. Every day. This consistency transforms awareness into habit. The tag isn’t something to remember – it’s impossible to forget when it’s stitched into the clothes she wears.
Third, it empowers through agency. The Pink Tag doesn’t tell women to go to a hospital or wait for symptoms. It gives them the tools, the knowledge, and the moment to act for themselves. Breast self-examination requires no equipment, no appointments, no financial burden – only awareness and action. The Pink Tag provides both, at the exact moment when a woman is most likely to listen: when she’s alone with herself.
The beauty lies in its simplicity: a behavioral change campaign that respects women’s time, honors their realities, and meets them where they actually are – not in clinics or seminars, but in the private moments that shape their days. The film is available across Sanjeevani’s digital ecosystem, News18 Network’s broadcast channels, and select streaming platforms.
The team behind The Pink Tag Project film:
VO: Sheeba Chaddha
Director: Rukshana Tabasum
DOP: Hardik Contractor
Producer: Bhupender Agarwal
Production House: Folklore