Private sector participation important for hunger-free India: Amitabh Kant

Kant, who is India's Sherpa to the G-20, said that around 119 million people in India remain undernourished, with women and children bearing the heaviest burden

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India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Wednesday highlighted the importance of private sector participation in achieving a 'hunger-free' India.

 

Kant was speaking at the launch of Malabar Group's CSR initiatives, where the company announced 'The Hunger Free World', an initiative aiming to distribute 70,000 daily meals to underprivileged people in fiscal 2025-26.

 

"If there are more groups like Malabar Group, we are able to transform the world. It requires continued collaboration between government, civil society, private sector and individuals," Kant said.

 

“Around 119 million people in India remain undernourished, with women and children bearing the heaviest burden,” he noted, adding that merely providing food is not enough — the focus must be on nutritious food.

 

"It is also very important that private sector takes over this responsibility at the local level," he said.

 

Hunger looms over India

 

According to the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024, India ranks 105th out of 127 countries, highlighting significant hunger. With a GHI score of 27.3, India falls in the 'serious' category, indicating issues related to undernutrition and child health.

 

The report notes that India's 13.7 per cent of the population is undernourished, reflecting insufficient calorific intake. Moreover, 35.5 per cent of children under the age of five are stunted, indicating chronic undernutrition, while 18.7 per cent suffer from wasting, a sign of acute undernutrition. The under-five mortality rate stands at 2.9 per cent, partly due to inadequate nutrition and healthcare.

 

Globally, around 733 million people face hunger each day due to a lack of access to a sufficient amount of food, while about 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, the report added.

 

(With agency inputs)