Nourishment Action Collective

An Akshaya Patra Initiative

About Akshaya Patra

The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF) is a for-impact organization focusing on areas of education, nutrition & community
empowerment. Operating as a Public-Private Partnership for more than 2 decades, TAPF’s efforts & outcomes are defined
by transparency, quality, efficiency, scale. By enabling access to food, nutrition & education for underserved individuals,
TAPF has been able to create an enduring impact for them, their families & communities.

Nutrition, Education landscape

- Niti Aayog estimates current national average for SGD 2 at an abysmal 47 out of 100 points
- India has 120Mn+ BoP children in school going age-group making investment in human capital essential since better
learners = better learning outcomes
- Spectrum of current interventions is titled towards early life-stages (upto first 1000 days from birth). Appropriate
nutritional investment for brain maturation, development of emotional & social skills is needed throughout lifecycle
(at least first 8000 days from birth)
- World Food Program reports female adolescents to have higher prevalence of anemia (40%) - leading to risk of loss
of upto 6 IQ Points
- Rampant climate change events (floods, drought, untimely rains) disrupt food value chain (crop loss, inflation induced
inaccessibility) causing adverse effects on food & nutrition security for marginalized

Mid-Day Meal (MDM): A Viable Solution?

- When executed effectively, MDM Program has proven to be one

of the most impactful tools for addressing nutritional &
learning outcomes for children
- India runs the world's largest school feeding program and
globally stands better in adopting school meal program as a
systemic solution to the correlated issue of nutrition and
education
- Only 8% of total 12Mn+ children are served by public-private
partnership (PPP) with competent implementing organizations
such as Akshaya Patra, indicating a significant opportunity to
expand and maximize program’s impact
- India’s New Education Policy’s has proposed provision for
breakfast alongside mid-day meals and Akshaya Patra has
experienced an enhanced commitment from state
governments towards a PPP model for MDM Program—both
being a positive indication to expand our work for underserved
students
- There is a need for urgent direct participation from the
foundations and giving community.
Nourishment Action Collective (NAC)
TAPF currently serves 2Mn students every day and is in process of building capacity to serve another 1Mn students.
However, short-term orientation & restrictive nature of our most funding partnerships leave little scope for investments
in other building blocks to amplify our contribution & impact as a

- Direct Impact Creator (Scale up what works at scale)

- Systems Change Facilitator (Drive knowledge partnerships, policy advocacy & complementary cross-sectoral
participation for effective solution delivery)

Major gaps that we are looking to cover with help of new collective of funders, partners with shared focus to fulfil our
sectoral responsibilities:

Improve Intervention More Impact per Dollar Reduced Negative Strengthening Ecosystem to
Density Externalities accelerate Systemic Change

Scale basic MDM to Improve financial & Responsible & green Center of Excellence to drive
cumulative 3Mn operating efficiency by operations through advocacy, sectoral
beneficiaries every day, add implementing business & solarization of & installation engagement & knowledge
3rd menu item/breakfast for of effective water treatment partnerships to enable
technology transformation
subset of existing plants in all kitchens where greater inter-sectoral
projects
beneficiaries operationally viable coordination, collaboration &
capacity building

How can you get involved with Nourishment Action Collective?

Funder Technical Partner Network Partner

Commit financial resources to Strengthen operational, knowledge Help drive outreach & curation of
undertake key projects essential for capabilities of Akshaya Patra as the collective with diverse set of
accomplishing NAC objectives Systems Change Collaborator and partners aligned to common
Direct Impact Creator objective of NAC

TAPF has selectively onboarded sector leaders & experts as advisors for Nourishment Action Collective

Contact

Rohit Choudhary | Chief Growth Officer, The Akshaya Patra Foundation

rohit.choudhary@akshayapatra.org | +91-8970892333