The kitchen was inaugurated by Mr. Kaushik Shaparia, CEO, Deutsche Bank Group, India & Emerging Asia along with Mr. Benjamin Alka, Global Head of Corporate Affairs & Strategy, Deutsche Bank. Representing The Akshaya Patra Foundation were Mr. Shridhar Venkat, CEO and Shri Sampati Dasa, Regional President – Pune.
Designed to serve hot, nutritious, and wholesome meals to 25,000 children across 29 government and government-aided schools in Pune, the kitchen will play a vital role in strengthening classroom attendance, improving nutrition outcomes, and expanding access to education for children in the region.
This facility marks a significant step in strengthening Pune’s school meal ecosystem. Spread across a built-up area of 20,000 sq. ft., the kitchen has been designed to the highest standards of food safety, hygiene, and operational efficiency. Meals will be distributed within a 20-kilometre radius using a fleet of electric meal-delivery vehicles, underscoring a strong commitment to environmental sustainability alongside social impact.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kaushik Shaparia, CEO, Deutsche Bank Group, India & Emerging Asia, said: “At Deutsche Bank, we have always believed that the most enduring investments are those made in people. The inauguration of this kitchen in Pune reflects the depth of our partnership with Akshaya Patra and our shared conviction that no child’s education should be compromised by hunger. As India’s future is shaped in its classrooms today, this kitchen represents our commitment to ensuring that more children in Pune have access to the nutrition and education they deserve. It is also deeply gratifying that our partnership with Akshaya Patra has now crossed the landmark of 100 million meals served.”
Shridhar Venkat, CEO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, “Each kitchen we build is a commitment—to the child, to the classroom, and to the nation. This Pune facility stands as a testament to what strong public-private partnerships can achieve under the PM POSHAN framework. We are deeply grateful to Deutsche Bank for their continued support and to the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra for their trust and collaboration.”
The launch of the Pune kitchen marks a significant milestone in The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s efforts to scale high-impact nutrition interventions across India. It reinforces a shared vision of building a nourished and educated nation, advancing the broader goal of a developed India through sustained investments in child nutrition and education.
Deutsche Bank’s partnership with Akshaya Patra dates to 2014, anchored in the belief that no child should be denied an education because of hunger. Over the past decade, the bank has supported the provision of mid-day meals to nearly 5,00,000 children across Gandhinagar, Jaipur, Bengaluru, and Pune, while also extending relief support during times of disaster. In a landmark moment for the partnership, Deutsche Bank crossed the milestone of 100 million meals served in January 2026, commemorated at a special event in Jaipur.
About Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank is Germany’s leading bank, with a strong position in Europe and a significant presence in the Americas and Asia Pacific. The bank provides commercial and investment banking, retail banking, transaction banking, asset and wealth management products and services to corporations, governments, institutional investors, small and medium-sized businesses, and private individuals.
The Deutsche Bank Group has been operating in India since 1980, with a strong presence in the businesses of corporate and investment banking, retail banking, private wealth management, and global business services. With close to 25,000 staff and operations across 18 locations in India, the group is recognised as one of the leading foreign financial service providers in India.
Deutsche Bank plays an active role in helping to shape stronger communities. The bank’s CSR agenda focuses on two impact areas: education and environment: helping people advance their professional and personal competencies and skills; and contributing towards the conservation and protection of the environment. This includes supporting projects that help communities become more climate resilient. Deutsche Bank works together with like-minded partners towards these goals. In a recent milestone, Deutsche Bank and The Akshaya Patra Foundation celebrated the provision of 100 million meals to school children, reflecting over a decade of sustained commitment to child nutrition and education in India.
Our employees are central to this effort—proud to contribute their skills and expertise towards such a cause. In 2025, more than 415,000 people in India benefitted from the bank’s CSR programmes and 40% of employees volunteered to support various causes.
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Media contact: Deeptha Rajkumar
Email: deeptha.rajkumar@db.com
About The Akshaya Patra Foundation
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation and an implementing partner for the Government of India’s flagship PM POSHAN initiative. Operating on a robust public-private partnership (PPP) model in collaboration with the Government of India, state governments, corporate partners and philanthropic donors, Akshaya Patra strives to eliminate classroom hunger and support children’s health and education by providing them with freshly cooked, nutritious mid-day meals in government and government-aided schools across the country. Beyond school meals, the Foundation’s interventions also support children’s access to education, community resilience and national development.
Established in 2000, Akshaya Patra has grown from its humble beginnings to becoming a globally recognised social movement through its contributions to food and nutrition security. Over the years, the programme has contributed to a significant increase in school enrolment and attendance, alleviation of classroom hunger, improvement in academic performance and nutritional outcomes among children. The Foundation operates one of the world’s largest networks of automated, technology-enabled community kitchens, designed to deliver safe, nutritious meals at scale every school day.
For more information, please visit: www.akshayapatra.org
For Media Queries:
Vivek Sathyamurthy
E-Mail: vivek.s@akshayapatra.org
