Panaji, 17 March 2025: Dr. Pramod Sawant, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa, inaugurated The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s first kitchen in Goa, built with the support of the Government of Goa and the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). The new unit—the Foundation’s 78th kitchen in the country—will initially serve 2,500 children through this kitchen as part of the Government of India’s PM POSHAN Abhiyaan.

At the inauguration ceremony that took place at premises in Pilerne Industrial Estate in North Goa, Chief Guest, Dr. Pramod Sawant inaugurated the new kitchen. The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Shri Kedar Naik, MLA - Saligao Assembly Constituency, Shri Prasad Lolayekar, IAS - Secretary (Education) and Dr. Sneha Gitte, IAS - Collector & District Magistrate North Goa, Shri Shailesh Zingde, Director of Education, and Subhash Chandra Rai, Senior Lead - CSR for NPCI. Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa, the Co-founder and Vice-chairman of Akshaya Patra, participated in the event. Shri Bharatarshabha Dasa, the National President and Trustee of Akshaya Patra, and Shri Shridhar Venkat, the CEO, were also present. The inauguration event was followed by a tour of the kitchen facility and serving of meals to the children.

With the inauguration of the Goa kitchen, Akshaya Patra’s network of centralised kitchens now spans 16 states and 3 Union Territories, strengthening its commitment to the Government of India’s PM POSHAN Abhiyaan.