The Akshaya Patra Foundation has received a grant of Rs 55 crore over a period of five years from the Jamsetji Tata Trust.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between Akshaya Patra and Jamsetji Tata Trust.
The initiative will focus on providing support to repair and upgrade existing kitchens, acquisition of logistic equipment, including vehicles, reducing cooking to consumption time, mounting 'green initiatives', enhancing food safety measures and achieving process efficiencies.
In a public-private partnership with the Government of India, Akshaya Patra serves over 1.3 million children in nine states, across 19 locations in India regularly with a mission to serve five million children by 2020.
The kitchen facility (the centralised-model kitchen) can provide meals ranging from 50,000 - 150,000 meals per day.
Akshaya Patra also has a de-centralised kitchen model to reach remote areas.
"The mission of Akshaya Patra is to reach 5 million children by 2020. This initiative will empower us to take a few steps towards our goal. We are grateful to the Jamsetji Tata Trust for having seen value in associating with our programme," said Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman, Akshaya Patra Foundation.
The Jamsetji Tata Trust is one of the oldest philanthropic institutions in India and has played a role in changing traditional ideas of charity.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation a secular non-profit organization is in a public-private partnership with the Indian government, which implements the world's largest NGO managed mid-day meal programme. Akshaya Patra feeds about 1.3 million children on all school working days.
