Engage With Us

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is turning 21 on 11 November 2021. Since the inception of this organization, all efforts are put in to transform people’s lives – be it mid-day meal beneficiaries or any other individual in need. The journey to being known as one of the top NGOs in India was not easy for this organisation. Strategic partnerships, constant innovations, planned expansions, enhancement and continuous support has taken the NGO, the distinction of being the world’s largest NGO run school lunch programme.

Complying with the Indian Accounting Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), every year an Annual Report with financial audits and statements are published and made available to stakeholders. Also, the NGO complies with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) that was adopted in 2008-2009. The organisation’s continuous efforts to maintain transparency has been recognized on various occasions.

A glimpse of Akshaya Patra’s 21 years of feeding
Before the onset of the pandemic, Akshaya Patra’s expertise in nutrition and innovative approach helped in ending classroom hunger for 1.8 million children studying in 19,039 Government and Government-aided schools, across 13 states and 1 union territory of India. Locally palatable mid-day meals are served to children from centralized and decentralized kitchens in 58 locations.

Constantly, for over 20 years, quality and food safety are of primary importance in all the kitchens of Akshaya Patra. To maintain the quality of meals, recipes across various locations are standardized. All efforts are taken to ensure that children not only have access to unlimited food for education in the form of mid-day meals but also to prescribed quantities of nutrition. Adopting and implementing Kaizen, CI Projects and Six Sigma methodologies, ensure quality on all terms.

During the times when people have struggled, Akshaya Patra has always stepped up to feed them and to help them build back their lives. This NGO in India has always responded proactively to several crises. Whether it was a flood, cyclone, or earthquake, as a responsible NGO, the Foundation has worked tirelessly within and outside the political boundaries of the country.

Below is a quick look at Akshaya Patra’s past relief activities

Akshaya Patra continuously strives to ensure that people from challenging backgrounds get meals to help them survive. With the help of Government partners, volunteers, individual donors and corporate partners, the Foundation has seen exponential growth in the last 21 years.

Donate online to be a part of the feeding initiatives of Akshaya Patra. Your online donations can feed not just mid-day meal beneficiaries but can satiate hunger in people coming from challenging socio-economic backgrounds.

The world as we know it today is different from what it used to be a couple of years ago; it is a new world that has risen out of fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s common is faces covered not with one but two masks, fist pumps, frequent sanitisation, handwashing and generosity that has supported the marginalised families and vulnerable communities.

Several donors have come forward to support NGOs in India that provide food relief, medical support, and the distribution of essentials in the country. One such organisation is The Akshaya Patra Foundation that has continuously focussed on the betterment of the lives of people who are suffering without food in this pandemic. The Foundation started serving cooked meals to people who had lost jobs and were struggling for food without any income. Since 25th March 2020, the organisation has served a cumulative of 151 million (15.1-crore) meals as of 15th July 2021.

Even today, the NGO works to provide food assistance to the people in need with various programmes. What started as serving only cooked meals, has expanded as a COVID relief service with the support of the Central Government, State Government, District Authorities, individual donors, corporate partners and volunteers. Akshaya Patra started providing grocery kits to support marginalised families, Happiness Kits to mid-day meal beneficiaries to support their health, hygiene, immunity and learning. These programmes gave way to support different sections of society.

People are suffering from the virus, pandemic-induced lockdown, loss of jobs, lack of money, lack of oxygen, loss of friends and relatives. Food should be the last thing to worry about. With all the above campaigns, Akshaya Patra aims to ensure that nobody is suffering due to hunger.

You can be a part of Akshaya Patra’s initiatives. All you have to do is donate online towards the cause you want to support.

• Meals support the needy individuals who are unable to source food on a daily basis.
• Roti & subzi/ rasam & rice/ khichdi is served to people.

• Happiness Kits support mid-day meal beneficiaries.
• It supports their health, hygiene & education.

• Supports marginalised families with essentials that can help them sustain for a fortnight.
• Cereals, oil, spices, toothpaste, soap bar, sanitary napkins come in this kit.

• Supports pregnant women & their baby to address nutritional deficiency in them.
• Provides malt-based protein mix, Ayurvedic Immunity builder, pulses, etc.

People are suffering from the virus, pandemic-induced lockdown, loss of jobs, lack of money, lack of oxygen, loss of friends and relatives. Food should be the last thing to worry about. With all the above campaigns, Akshaya Patra aims to ensure that nobody is suffering due to hunger.

You can be a part of Akshaya Patra’s initiatives. All you have to do is donate online towards the cause you want to support.

• To support school children in this pandemic, click here.
• To enable the sustenance of marginalised families, click here.
• To provide nutrition for pregnant mothers, click here.

There are millions of people in need but are hesitant to ask for support. Akshaya Patra helps bridge this gap and provides food assistance. Join its initiatives today!

A tiny thought can plant seeds for a million dreams. The thought “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger” led to the beginning of The Akshaya Patra Foundation in 2000. It started feeding 1,500 children in five Government schools of Bengaluru, Karnataka. On identifying a strong relationship between food and education, the Foundation extended its service to provide mid-day meals to children in other states as well. By providing unlimited food for education of children, it gained national and international recognition to become the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme.

The NGO in India has completed 20 years of becoming an implementer of the Mid-Day Meal Programme. During these years, it has supported the feeding of 1.8 million children studying in 19,039 Government and Government-aided schools of India. The Foundation is spread across 52 locations in 12 States and 2 Union Territories of India and feeds wholesome meals to mid-day meal beneficiaries. When a disaster strikes the nation, the Foundation has always provided food-assistance to victims of the catastrophe.

In the last 20 years, Akshaya Patra has worked on a public-private partnership basis, which includes partnership with The Government of India, State Governments, corporate partners and millions of individual donors. On every single day hot, nutritious, locally palatable meals are provided to children. The NGO in India has received appreciation for its mid-day meal service in India.

Akshaya Patra’s 20 Year Journey

20th Anniversary celebration amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Normal life was affected; labourers and daily-wage workers lost their job. Akshaya Patra joined hands with the Government of India and started the COVID-19 Relief Service. As a part of this programme, cooked meals and grocery kits were distributed to the needy people of India and their families. It has served a cumulative of 10-crore meals amid the crisis.

Here is a glimpse of Akshaya Patra’s service over the years  –

Also, schools were shut and mid-day meal beneficiaries were bereaved of wholesome meals that were probably the only healthy meal they consumed in a day. To continue its core service towards school children, the organisation initiated the Happiness Kits Programme. Every Happiness Kit supports the nutritional, hygiene and educational aspects of children.
To know what goes into the Happiness Kit, click here.

You can donate online as a part of Akshaya Patra’s 20th Anniversary to help children get nurtured and nourished. All your support will help them gain food, education and a healthy future.

Global hunger has been on a constant rise in the last few years. The COVID-19 situation has further threatened food security in the poor and marginalised sections of society. It is projected that 330 million will suffer from chronic hunger by the end of 2030.

To tackle the pandemic, new ideas were put in place by the Indian Government. However, the effect of curbing the spread of the disease led to food insecurity in the lives of millions of needy people in India. Food was a problem that the Government tackled by providing cooked meals. In association with various State Governments and District Administrations, The Akshaya Patra Foundation began its COVID-19 Relief Service.

As a part of this service, food was served as a solution to the hunger pangs of marginalised communities of India. Nutritious, cooked meals were served to needy individuals and grocery kits were provided to support the sustenance of low-income families. As of 15th October 2020, 5,33,09,910 cooked meals were served by the NGO and 10,26,399 families were supported with grocery kits.

Amid this COVID crisis, schools were shut to avoid the spread of the virus. This had a huge impact, reversing the years of progression on education.

90% of all students kept out of school amid the pandemic.

For most of the children studying in Government and Government-aided schools, mid-day meals are the only source of nutritious meals they get in a day. Schools remaining closed mean that children do not get the right amount of nutrition required for adequate development. To support the food and education of beneficiaries of the Mid-Day Meal Programme, Akshaya Patra initiated the Happiness Kits Programme. As a part of this programme, every beneficiary is supported with:

Apart from feeding mid-day meal beneficiaries, this NGO in India also takes care of pregnant and lactating mothers. Anganwadi Kits Programme was started to provide health and nutrition to children and nursing mothers. 2 kits to a lactating mother and her child will provide Glucose Biscuits, Jaggery, Spices, Hygiene Kit and Milk powder.

Support the needy population of India with your online donation. Every help goes towards providing millions of healthy meals to marginalised sections of society.

Initially called the Joy of Giving Week, Daan Utsav is India’s ‘Festival of Giving’ that was launched in 2009. It is celebrated every year commencing on 2nd October and concluding on 8th October. Thousands of people have come, time and again, to give back to the society and the community.

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”
Mahatma Gandhi

People who want to involve themselves in philanthropic acts do every little thing possible from their end. They come up with many creative ways to lend a helping hand to support the cause closest to their heart.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought millions of people together to help those in need.
690 million people around the globe are affected by hunger. By the end of 2020, the COVID-19 crisis could further drive over 130 million more into chronic hunger.
NGO’s all over the world and in India have come forward to help people affected by the pandemic.

Akshaya Patra’s COVID-19 Food Relief Efforts
The Akshaya Patra Foundation began its COVID-19 Relief Service on 25th March 2020 and has served over 8.2-crore meals in the last six months. This NGO is currently serving freshly cooked meals and distributing grocery kits and happiness kits across India.

• Cooked meals
Freshly cooked, nutritious meals are provided to the poor and marginalised sections of the society. So far, a total of 4,92,78,886 meals have been served to daily-wage workers, labourers, needy people at old-age homes and night shelters. Nutritious meals upkeeps health and immunity of the needy.

• Grocery Kits
The pandemic resulted in economic slowdown and loss of jobs, leaving millions helpless. Neither they had any source of income nor enough savings to sustain themselves and their families.The distribution of grocery kits by the NGO have supported 8,27,545 families thus far.

• Happiness Kits
The Happiness Kits Programme was initiated to support the food and education of mid-day meal beneficiaries. Each happiness kit supports nutrition, immunity, hygiene and education of children. So far, a total of 40,551 mid-day meal beneficiaries have been benefitted.

Ways to contribute in this Joy of Giving Week 2020
Your contribution to Akshaya Patra will give hope to millions of people in this Daan Utsav 2020. You can support our cause and experience joy by:
• Donating online
• Being vocal on social media
• Conducting fundraising campaigns

This Daan Utsav, support people in need because “Happiness is not a goal. It is a by-product of a life well-lived.” Eleanor Roosevelt.

It is difficult times for most of us. We are wired in such a way that, in spite of this tough situation, there is a strong desire to help the people in need.

“The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” – Leo Tolstoy

More often than not, the question ‘How do I support them?’ lurks on our minds and we begin looking for answers. The most common answer lies in making donations to NGOs that support your cause. There are over 3 million NGOs in India that work towards different causes.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO in India that works towards its core cause of feeding unlimited food for education to school children. It serves mid-day meals to Government and Government-aided school children in 52 locations spread across 12 States and 2 Union Territories of India.

Akshaya Patra’s COVID-19 Relief Service
Apart from working towards its core cause, Akshaya Patra extends its feeding services to people who are affected during crisis hours. To help the needy people during the pandemic, the NGO started its COVID-19 Feeding Relief Service. By working in coordination with the State Governments, District Authorities and with the help of individual donors and corporate partners, Akshaya Patra has:
• Served over 4-crore freshly cooked meals to the needy
• Supported more than 8 lakhs marginalised families with essential grocery kits
• Begun its initiative to support nutrition and education of mid-day meal beneficiaries by providing Happiness Kits

Make online donations to support Akshaya Patra
You can be a part of Akshaya Patra by supporting its relief initiatives by donating online or conducting fundraising campaigns:

Create a Birthday Fundraising Campaign
If you have a birthday coming up, make it special by celebrating it in a unique way. You can create a birthday fundraiser and feed the needy people with the amount you receive as support from your family, friends and relatives.

Create a COVID-19 Relief Fundraising Campaign
To maximize your support for the needy, you can create a COVID-19 fundraiser. With these funds you will be able to provide cooked meals, grocery kits and Happiness kits to the needy and mid-day meals beneficiaries respectively.

CSR partnership
Many opportunities are available for companies who have partnered with Akshaya Patra. You can donate as a part of your CSR activity to help the needy people get access to wholesome meals every day.

How does your donation help?
Shivanand Malali from Hubballi, Karnataka was stranded at a railway station for two days. Since he wasn’t able to book a ticket due to lack of money, he decided to walk back home. Teary-eyed, he says, “After three days, I found shelter in BCM Hostel, I’m grateful for all the help that I received at the right time. After I got to know that it was Akshaya Patra that was feeding meals to all of us at the Hostel, I was relieved. I knew that I’ll not only get food, but it will be fresh and hygienic too.”
There are millions like Shivanand Malali stranded without jobs, shelter or food. Your donation can make a world of difference to them when they least expect it.

Join Akshaya Patra to help the needy in India. Support Now!

If you feel that you have not been able to do your best generous donation all this month, you still have an extra day to show how much you care for creating a better future. Donate to Akshaya Patra, it feeds 1.8 million children every single day across 51 locations in India. Take this leap to donate towards their future on this extra day! Happy LEAP YEAR indeed!

The word EXTRA stirs a unique sense of relief in all of us. Be it an extra holiday, an extra discount tagged along a product or an extra day of Sale in stores and supermarkets. And adding on to the list of EXTRAS, there is uniqueness to this, it’s a LEAP year 2020. Meaning, an extra day to do all the things that you wished you should have done during the other days of the month. Guess what? It is never too late since you have an extra day – so go wash your car, spend time with your family, go out on a date with your parents, give a bonus amount to your domestic help or donate towards an NGO in India that you had once thought of, not long ago.

You really have an extra day this year. Why not utilize it for making a great impact on children? The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a non-profit organization that implements the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India. With the help of people who donate online, today, it feeds 1.8 million children studying in 16,856 Government and Government-aided schools. It serves healthy and nutritious mid-day meals from 51 centralised and de-centralised kitchens located in 12 States and 2 Union Territories of India, namely – Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Daman & DNH, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Andhra Pradesh.

The state-of-the-art kitchens serve meals that are locally palatable by the school children. The ingredients picked for the menu help children to stay full for a longer time so that they can concentrate and focus better during their school hours. Some children hail from challenging backgrounds which is why mid-day meals prove to be a boon for them.

How is Akshaya Patra’s meals beneficial?

Many parents send their children to school with the assurance that they will get the right amount of nutrition in their school along with gaining education. Since affording single square meal is a challenging task, they rely on school meals to ensure their children’s nutritional requirements. Mid-day meals are planned and prepared keeping in mind the dietary requirements of developing children.

Quality and hygiene are a priority and are followed strictly right from purchasing raw materials till the delivery of meals. Raw materials are stored in designated store rooms and FIFO and FEFO methods are employed, all cutting and cooking equipment along with vessels are sterilized before and after use, and the employees in the kitchen wear protective gears at all times. The Mid-Day Meal Programme has been a success to increase retention rates in various schools. Make this year’s extra day fruitful. Donate school meals and get income tax exemption with every donation under section 80G of the Indian Income Tax Act.

Your LEAP of kindness = YEAR full of wholesome meals for children.

Traditionally reliant on in-person fundraising events and face-to-face interactions, NGOs are now harnessing the capabilities of online platforms to reach a global audience. The advent of secure and user-friendly online donation platforms has not only simplified the process for donors but has also expanded the reach of charitable organisations beyond geographical boundaries. Interestingly, it is in perfect alignment with PM Narendra Modi’s vision of Digital India.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation has always leveraged technology to keep up with the pace of the world for the welfare of children.

Benefits of Donating Online to Akshaya Patra

1. Accessibility and Convenience
   Online platforms break down barriers by providing a convenient and accessible way for donors to contribute towards the Mid-Day Meal Programme (MDM Scheme). Anyone with an internet connection can support the feeding of school children—a cause they believe in, regardless of their location or time zone.
   
2. Transparency and Accountability
   Digital platforms enable NGOs to maintain a high level of transparency in their operations. Donors can easily track how their contributions are utilised to nourish children with meals, fostering trust and accountability.
   
3. Global Reach
   The internet erases geographical constraints, allowing NGOs to connect with a global audience. This expanded reach enables Akshaya Patra to garner support from individuals across the world.
   
4. Cost-Effectiveness
   Online fundraising is often more cost-effective than traditional methods. NGOs can save on the expenses associated with organising physical events, printing materials and other logistical requirements.
   
5. Eligible for Tax Exemption
   For most of the NGOs that operate on a large scale, donors get the added advantage of gaining tax exemption for their online donations. This is applicable only to organisations that are registered as NGOs under the Income Tax (IT) Act.

Akshaya Patra has been providing nutritious school meals to children in India for the past 23 years. It is one of the oldest mid-day meal NGO in India and is registered under:

• The Indian Trusts Act 1882 as a non-profit organisation.
• Section 12A (a) of the Income Tax Act 1961 and Section 6 (1) (a) of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010.

Currently, Akshaya Patra is nourishing over 2 million children studying in government and government-aided schools and Anganwadis across 67 locations of 15 states and 2 union territories. Apart from its core initiative of implementing the PM POSHAN Abhiyaan (formerly called the MDM Programme), the Foundation has also initiated child-centric programmes for the overall development of its beneficiaries under the National Endeavour for Student Transformation (NEST) vertical. These include:

• Digital Education Programme to address the digital divide and provide children from backgrounds with limited opportunities the access to quality education.

• Scholarship Programme to provide financial aid to children to pursue their higher education.

• School Rejuvenation Programme to provide a conducive environment for children at schools through a series of infrastructural interventions.

Additionally, Akshaya Patra has time and again endeavoured to undertake food assistance as a part of humanitarian relief efforts in the aftermath of natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Foundation would not have been able to reach millions of children with the comfort of food had it not been for the support of every single donor.

Akshaya Patra invites its supporters and well-wishers to make online donations in the form of net banking, digital wallets, online transfer and debit or credit cards. Your donations will be eligible for tax exemption under Section 80G. Upon completion of a successful transaction, you will receive a donation receipt and a tax exemption certificate.

Together, let’s recognise the power of contributions in fostering positive change and continue to innovate and leverage technology to create a lasting impact in the lives of people who need support.

In this era of connectivity, the synergy between NGOs and online platforms exemplifies the potential for positive change when technology and philanthropy unite for the common purpose of providing mid-day meals (MDM).

The journey towards a better world is now just a click away.

It is no doubt that the magic of photographs is timeless! And to explore the world of photography with children as the focus, The Akshaya Patra Foundation had initiated the ‘Click a Smile’, an annual online photography competition in 2013. With the objective to spread smiles and hopes, Akshaya Patra has pinned one main criterion for this competition i.e. only happy pictures of a child or children will be accepted and exhibited in the contest. These photographs can be from anywhere in the world and in any setting – home, school, playground, or the neighbourhood.

The ‘Click a Smile’ photo contest is open for all regardless of age and nationality, and also encourages amateurs and professional photographers to participate in it. Since the beginning this contest has received an overwhelming response from across the world with more than 1,500 entries from across 70 countries, each year. Below are some of the criteria for Click a Smile – 2018:

• The photography contest is open from 20 November 2018 to 30 December 2018. All entries must be submitted within this time period;
• Each participant is allowed to submit a maximum of three photographs;
• Only digital (JPEG format) photographs within the resolution range of 800 pixels to 4MB will qualify for the contest;
• There is no registration fee for participating in the contest;
• The shortlisted entries will be judged by a panel of professionals from the photography industry; and
• The winners of the photo contest will receive trophies, certificates, and gift vouchers.

Not just prizes, all the winning entries will be published in Akshaya Patra’s official page for the ‘Click a Smile’ contest!

Well, it’s time to capture the joy of children and spread smiles all around you. It is time to capture that one moment which can brighten up your day even after many years from now. It is time to re-experience innocence, to jump on a puddle of water and to remember the good old friends. It is time to relive your childhood. And, as they say, ‘more the merrier’, so as you participate, invite your friends to join in too.

To register and know more about this photography contest, click here.

For detailed terms and conditions, please click here.

Fellowship programme is a short or long-term engagement that can last from few months to few years where an individual referred to as a ‘fellow’ gets the opportunity to focus on their professional development. This programme is often sponsored by a specific organisation that is looking at expanding leadership in their related field.

Akshaya Patra Fellowship Programme

The Akshaya Patra Foundation recently introduced its Fellowship Programme in India. With this programme, the Foundation aims to provide a platform for young leaders and future social entrepreneurs to hone their skills in the social sector and thereby benefit millions of children. This is the Foundation’s first fellowship programme.

How will you benefit from the Fellowship Programme?

First, this fellowship programme will give you an opportunity to be a part of the top NGO in India. Second, you will be a fellow of the first batch of the Akshaya Patra’s Fellowship Programme. Third, it is a paid fellowship programme encompassing a host of training and activities for an all-inclusive development of the fellow. Here is an overview of what you will receive as a fellow of this programme:

• Training on learning and development, awareness on health, nutrition, and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), and soft skills development;
• A platform to experience leadership skills such as people-management, public-speaking, conflict resolution, relationship building, time management, problem solving and more;
• An opportunity to be a part of the leading team of a project, and upon successful completion, you will get a chance to present your project to the top management of the Foundation;
• An exceptional leadership journey constructively impacting your learning curve;
• On successful completion of the fellowship programme, you will receive a Fellowship Certificate;
• Last but not least, you will get the noble opportunity to impact the lives of millions of children.

How will Akshaya Patra benefit?

Over the past 17 years of being a mid-day meal NGO, Akshaya Patra has been striving to extend the benefits of mid-day meals to maximum number of children across the country. For this, it has undertaken various initiatives and has also received support and goodwill of government and donors. With this fellowship programme, Akshaya Patra aims at grooming and guiding future leaders who will enable expansion of the mid-day meal programme resulting in a nourished and educated India. This fellowship programme will help the Foundation tread many steps towards providing unlimited food for education to achieve its vision of ‘No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.’

Apply Now

A noble opportunity is knocking at your door. It will open up avenues to improve many young lives thereby enriching your humanitarian trait and uplifting the society manifold. Be among the first graduates of the first batch of the Akshaya Patra Fellowship Programme. Apply for fellowship now!