As Akshaya Patra Foundation prepares to serve its 5 billionth meal with the President on March 17 Draupadi Murmu In commemoration of this milestone, the moment marks an important chapter in one of the largest school feeding programs in the world. What started with serving meals to just 1,500 people from the ISKCON temple in Bengaluru in 2000 has grown into a nationwide initiative that now feeds more than 2.35 million children every day. In this conversation, Shri Madhu Pandit Dasa, Founder-Chairman of Akshaya Patra Foundation, discusses the 25-year journey of the organization and its work in supporting school nutrition programs across India. He reflects on the partnership with governments under the PM Poshan Programme, the role of technology in scaling up large-scale food operations and initiatives such as the Morning Nutrition Program that seek to strengthen the link between nutrition, education and long-term child development.1. With Draupadi Murmu Akshaya Patra Foundation set to serve its 5th billion meal on March 17, how important is this milestone for the organization and how much impact has it achieved so far?The milestone of 5 billion meals is a profound moment not only for Akshaya Patra, but also for India. When we started cooking meals for 1,500 people at the ISKCON Bangalore temple in 2000, we couldn’t even imagine where we would be 25 years later. As we celebrate 25 years of serving children, each of the 5 billion meals we serve represents our commitment to a world where no child has to choose between food and education; Instead, they have the best of both.It is an honor for us to have the President of India Draupadi Murmu ji celebrating this historic milestone as our chief guest. Their presence is a powerful affirmation that ensuring the nutrition and well-being of India’s children is a national priority. The milestone of 5 billion meals is a testament to what is possible when compassion meets commitment.We are also grateful to the Education Minister, Dharmendra PradhanFor agreeing to be our guest of honor for this event.2. The Foundation has recently introduced a morning nutrition plan. What gap does this initiative aim to address and how widely has it been implemented so far?The Morning Nutrition Program is in line with our commitment to ensure that no child is deprived of education due to hunger. We have seen that many children come to school hungry. By implementing the program, we strive to address this nutritional gap.A child who starts the school day nourished can truly make the most of the educational opportunity. The Morning Nutrition Plan is our commitment to making this a reality. We are currently implementing the Morning Nutrition Program in six states, reaching 8 lakh children, and are working to scale this initiative to more locations.3. With millions of meals prepared daily, what processes are in place to ensure food safety, nutritional balance and quality control at each stage?At Akshaya Patra, we combine scale with systems that ensure high standards of hygiene, sustainability and efficiency. A key element is automation, which includes equipment such as rice washing machines, dal cooking systems, vegetable cutters and chapati making machines that reduce manual handling and enable large quantities of food to be prepared with uniform quality.We operate under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that govern procurement, storage, preparation and packaging. Raw materials are quality checked upon arrival and food safety protocols are followed during the cooking process. Regular internal audits and monitoring help maintain compliance with hygiene and nutrition standards.Technology-enabled monitoring systems help track production, ingredient usage and daily food requirements, ensuring operational efficiency and reducing wastage. Furthermore, scientifically designed menus ensure that the food meets nutritional guidelines while reflecting local tastes.Finally, a well-organized logistics system supported by specially designed food delivery vehicles ensures that freshly prepared meals reach schools on time while maintaining quality and safety.4. The organization works closely with many state governments under the mid-day meal programme. How do these partnerships shape your operations on the ground?Our partnerships with the Government of India and State Governments are the foundation of what we do. Under the visionary leadership of our Prime Minister, Narendra ModiPM Poshan Program continues to strengthen the link between nutrition and education.As the implementing partner of PM Poshan, the partnership provides us with the reach, mandate and a significant portion of the funding required for operations. The government provides us with the policy framework, maps schools and supports food cost contributions. We bring to the table the operating model, technology, trained workforce and additional funding raised from corporate partners and individual donors. So the government provides support in policy, grants and other critical areas, while Akshaya Patra focuses largely on food preparation, logistics and quality assurance. It is this shared commitment that allows us to plan, invest and work with confidence at the grassroots level.
5. As the conversation around nutrition and education becomes more interconnected, how does Akshay Patra see its role in supporting the holistic development of children beyond addressing hunger?A hungry child cannot concentrate, absorb and certainly cannot aspire. A healthy child is more likely to attend school regularly and concentrate better on learning. When we provide food, we are not just addressing hunger. We are creating the conditions for learning and growth… so that a child can imagine the future.And for girls, the impact is intergenerational. A nurtured, educated girl brings up a nurtured, educated family. In that sense, our work is not limited to just food. It’s about human potential.We have also designed and implemented initiatives that go beyond food to support the holistic development of children. These include the Giving Every Dream a Chance initiative, which mentors children in pursuing their fields of interest, and the scholarship program, which provides students with financial assistance for higher education.6. The organization has expanded significantly in the last 25 years. What were some of the key milestones or changes that helped drive this growth?Our 25-year journey has witnessed many milestones.The first time was in 2003, when the Government of India took the historic decision to invite NGOs as implementing partners in the Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme. This laid the foundation for us to operate at a scale that we could not have achieved independently.Our partnership with state governments enabled the program to expand across all geographies and reach children in different regions of the country. These partnerships have been critical in tailoring our operations to local needs while maintaining consistency in food quality and delivery.Another important driver of growth has been taking advantage of technology and operational innovation. The development of large-scale, technology-enabled kitchens and robust supply chain systems has allowed us to serve nutritious food efficiently, safely and at scale, helping us reach more children every year.The support of corporate partners and individual donors has also played a vital role in our journey. Their contributions have enabled kitchen infrastructure creation, operational expansion, and program innovation, strengthening the public-private partnership model that underpins our work.Akshaya Patra’s work has been recognized through awards such as the Gandhi Peace Prize, National Award for Child Welfare, Nikkei Asia Awardsand BBC Global Food Champion Award, among others1. Our systems and processes have become case studies at leading universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University and London Business School. We celebrated our 4 billion meals milestone at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 20242. We are fortunate to have the President with us to mark the 5 billion meals milestone and 25 years on March 17. National and international awards and recognitions along with encouragement from such eminent leaders have significantly strengthened the credibility of the organization.Such examples have raised the visibility of school food issues, strengthened stakeholder confidence and enabled us to strengthen partnerships and reach more children over time.7. Technology and innovation have become central to improving large-scale social initiatives. How has Akshay Patra integrated these elements into its kitchen and supply chain systems?Technology and innovation play a vital role in enabling us to deliver food at scale with efficiency and sustainability. Every day, our kitchens prepare meals for 2.35 million children with precision and consistency, ensuring each meal meets nutritional standards. Our semi-automatic kitchens use large rice and dal vessels and high capacity roti making machines, which enable us to prepare large quantities of food efficiently while maintaining hygiene and consistency. In logistics, we use route optimization and fleet management tools to ensure on-time delivery to thousands of schools.Our aim is to serve every child with the same quality and care every day. Technology and innovation help us make this possible.8. Looking ahead, what are the Foundation’s priorities for the next phase of growth in India and potentially on the global stage?We strive to reach more children and strengthen nutrition delivery. To this end, we intend to design and implement initiatives that complement the midday meal programme. For example, the Morning Nutrition Program ensures that children start the school day nourished and ready to learn. Similarly, the School Rejuvenation Program creates safe and clean spaces where children can get their food. We will continue to strengthen partnerships with governments, institutions and philanthropic supporters to maintain and expand the reach of the programme.Our aim is to support broader efforts to address classroom hunger and improve access to education around the world through knowledge sharing and collaborative partnerships. In 2024, we collaborated with Kenya-based non-profit, Food4Education, as a knowledge partner to share insights on kitchen operations and scaling strategies3. We will continue to build such partnerships and share our operational learnings and scalable models with other countries to explore school feeding initiatives on a larger scale.Inspired by the success of Akshaya Patra, the World Food Movement was launched last year to take the idea of large-scale nutrition programs beyond India. The initiative aims to support students and communities globally so that children can learn with energy and communities can grow with respect.Reference: Disclaimer – The above content is non-editorial, and TIL disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to it, and does not guarantee, endorse or necessarily endorse any content.
