Akshaya Patra Foundation: Unlimited food for education

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a non-profit trust of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Initially with one kitchen in Bengaluru, today we have a presence in 67 locations across 15 states and 2 union territories of India, which facilitates us feeding 20,66,159 children in 23,242 schools and Anganwadi centres.

Vision
No Child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger
Mission
To feed 3 Million Children Every day by 2025

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO that works persistently towards eliminating classroom hunger. Building on a Public-Private Partnership model to put into practice the Government’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India, Akshaya Patra aims to counter malnutrition and sustain the right to education of children who hail from challenging socio-economic backgrounds.
In 2000, we began serving school meals to 1,500 children across five governments. With our partnership with the Government of India, State governments, and support from corporations, donors, and volunteers, Akshaya Patra has grown to serve mid-day meals to 1.8 million children.
By feeding hygienically ready mid-day meals to children who have the passion to learn and achieve, we give them the nourishment and motivation to succeed. One wholesome meal a day helps them pursue education for a better future. With our vision, “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger,” we aim to reach out to feed 5 million children by 2025.

Akshaya Patra Kitchen

One of the most significant things, and an area of expertise for Akshaya Patra, is the cleanliness achieved through technology. The technology is used for scaling. This particular kitchen prepares about 1 lakh meals in 4 hours. Which means you can’t have a human touch in terms of hygiene. Everything is planned in such a way that the hygiene standard is high. Cleanliness like this costs. With the kitchens being centralized, moving the food from one place to another also costs extra. Good safety costs extra. But all this is necessary for children.