The
newly inaugurated kitchen, part of the PM POSHAN initiative, will serve
nutritious mid-day meals to 25,000 children across 29 schools in Pune.
Pune,
April 7, 2026 : Reinforcing a shared commitment to child
nutrition and education, Deutsche Bank, as part of its CSR programme in India,
in partnership with The Akshaya Patra Foundation—an implementing partner of the
Government of India’s PM POSHAN scheme—today inaugurated a state-of-the-art
centralised kitchen facility in Shivajinagar, Pune.
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.
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
