Akshaya Patra launches their website www.akshayapatra.org

Akshaya Patra is renowned for using technology to hygienically prepare meals and manage a supply chain to deliver hot, nutritious meals to lakhs of children studying in Government schools. So far we have been using industrial steam boilers, bucket elevators, conveyor & material handling systems, and other industrial processes in the kitchens to prepare the meals.

Now, Akshaya Patra plans to use technology to create a community of supporters to help in it’s mission to feed and educate under privileged children. Akshaya Patra plans to build a community of over 2 million supporters using the power of Internet. Using modern tools like social networking, blogging, discussion forums, etc., Akshaya Patra plans to use cost effective methods on the internet to reach its message to millions of people and creats a broad support base. Working closely with overseas experts in this new age initiative, Akshaya Patra has revamped it’s web site by m aking it more interactive, user friendly and informative, and the same will be launched today by two important citizens of our country: Ravi Nedungadi, CFO of UB Group and RK Mishra, Lead India winner.

About Akshaya Patra program:

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, the world’s largest NGO run school meal program which currently feeds over 9.7 lakh children across the country every day, is all set to achieve its target of feeding the magical figure of one million children soon. A public-private partnership which runs with the assistance of the government and the private sector, the foundation announced the launch of its new website (http://www.akshayapatra.org) through which it plans to create 2 million Community Members in the next three years.

Speaking to the journalists at the launch of the website Ravi Nedungadi, President & CFO, UB GROUP said, “Online donations form a major chunk of the moneys that accrue to charitable organisations across the globe. While Akshaya is doing yeoman service and is the world’s largest run school meal programme, they are unable to reach out to the many people who would be interested in helping our common cause. The website is a powerful interface for us to reach out to a worldwide audience and can be used efficiently as our mouthpiece. The redesigned website is much more interactive offering a wider perspective of Akshaya Patra to the viewers.”

R K Mishra, Founder Sahyog who was also present at the launch praised the Foundation for its work and recommended it highly as one of the best examples of what public-private partnerships could accomplish in the development space. He said, “…with this new website Akshaya Patra will reach to the nooks and corners of the world and be able to convince and win the empathy of the people. This will surely translate into one million meals for India’s hungry school children.”

Shri Chanchalapthi Das, Vice Chairman, Akshaya Patra also announced that the foundation has now received ISO 22000:2005 certification for the six of their kitchens. These include North Bangalore, South Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hubli-Dharwad Kitchen and Vrindavan Kitchen –a first of its kind achievement for NGO.

The campaign to raise funds through the website is one more new step for the organisation which has constantly strived to promote literacy by erasing hunger among school children. Early this year the foundation has already held two “Zero to billion” conclaves with a view to enlist corporate support in a bigger manner. All contributions to The Akshaya Patra Foundation is eligible for 100% tax deduction under section 35AC/80GGA(bb) of the Income Tax Act 1961 in India. www.akshayapatra.org