New Delhi: Akshay Batra and Vitamin Angels India have joined forces to address the critical issues of hunger and hidden hunger in selected regions of the country. The announcement was made at a recent Business Roundtable conference held in Mumbai. Although India has made strong progress in addressing women's and children's health, challenges remain, particularly for people at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid. The partnership aims to leverage the strengths of both organizations to tackle the twin challenges of food insecurity and micronutrient deficiencies among children and women.
This initiative, with a focus on children under 5 years of age, targets maternal health as a key focus and promotes women's social and economic agency by creating awareness about healthy nutritional practices for women and children, ensuring growth, care and protection. Through children's learning, nutrition and complementary foods. Women and children have historically been very marginalized when it comes to nutrition because of a lack of agency at the family level.
The partnership will leverage the strengths that both organizations bring to the table to ensure that undernourished mothers and children receive essential nutrition and health services. Akshaya Patra uses its centralized kitchens, renowned for their lab-tested menus and strict food safety protocols, to provide children with healthy, nutritious meals. Vitamin Angels will bring its expertise in providing evidence-based nutrition interventions, focusing on the critical first 2,000 days of life, from pregnancy to a child's fifth birthday. The partnership helps build the capacity of Anganwadi workers to effectively implement these nutrition and health programs. Commenting on the partnership, Sunish Johari, President, Vitamin Angels India said, “Our partnership with Akshay Patra underscores our shared commitment to fighting both visible hunger and hidden hunger.
By pooling our resources, we not only tackle child hunger, but also ensure that children, pregnant women and mothers have access to the micronutrients they need to thrive. Hidden hunger—nutrient deficiencies—is a critical issue. Through this partnership, we aim to support existing government initiatives and help ensure that no vulnerable population is left behind in the fight against malnutrition and hunger. Sridhar Venkat, CEO, Akshaya Batra Foundation added, “This partnership is an important step in ensuring that our beneficiaries get not just food but nutrition that contributes to their overall health and growth. Akshay Batra has always been dedicated to addressing classroom hunger, and now, with the expertise of Vitamin Angels, we are expanding our impact by tackling micronutrient deficiencies.
