The Akshaya Patra Foundation was felicitated on the completion of twenty-five years of service and reaching the milestone of having offered five billion meals to the needy, on 17^th March, 2026, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, in the presence President Droupadi Murmu, who personally served meals to children, making it an inspiring moment of national significance. It was indeed a moment of great pride for the community, as our very own community stalwart and Parsi Times columnist, Noshir H. Dadrawala was also part of the Akshaya Patra delegation receiving the honour, in his capacity as a member of the Audit Committee of Akshaya Patra Foundation (since the past four years).

Also present on the occasion were Education Minister – Dharmendra Pradhan, alongside Akshay Patra’s Founder-Chairman – Madhu Pandit Dasa and Co-Founder & Vice Chairman – Chanchalapathi Dasa, reinforcing the strength of this ‘Public Private Partnership’ in advancing child nutrition and education. As an implementing partner of PM POSHAN scheme, this milestone reflects a collective commitment towards building a Suposhit and Sushikshit Bharat for Viksit Bharat.

Akshaya Patra Foundation’s vision, ‘No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger’ is inspired by the legendary ‘Akshaya Patra’ from the epic Mahabharata, a divine, inexhaustible vessel gifted by Lord Surya to the Pandavas, symbolising abundance and ensuring that no one went hungry.