The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a social impact organization dedicated to supporting children’s health and education, in association with Crestron Software Development India Pvt. Ltd., facilitated the distribution of educational scholarships worth over ₹15 lakhs to 24 meritorious students from government and government-aided institutions. In its first phase, this initiative will extend over ₹15 lakhs in educational support, directly benefiting 24 meritorious students from government and government-aided institutions. The scholarship distribution ceremony was hosted at The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s head office in Bengaluru and witnessed the participation of senior leadership from both organizations.
The Crestron delegation included Shri Gagan Verma, Vice President – India & SAARC; Shri Anil Prabhandam, Senior Director, Engineering; Shri Suraj Parkash, Director, Quality Engineering; Shri Gautham Basti, Director, Mechanical Engineering; Smt. Rashmi Ramachandran, Finance Controller; and Shri Sudheer Kumar Goud, Senior Manager, Enterprise Integration and Operations. Representing Akshaya Patra were Mr. Dhananjay Ganjoo, Chief Resource Mobilisation & Marketing Officer, along with senior officials.
This pioneering initiative marks a strategic expansion of The Foundation’s commitment beyond its flagship Mid-Day Meal Programme under PM POSHAN, by supporting higher education across diverse academic streams such as BA, B.Sc, B.Com, Engineering, BCA, M.Sc, and MCA.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Gagan Verma, Vice President – India & SAARC at Crestron said:
“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Crestron, and we believe that empowering young talent is the most meaningful way to fuel it. Through The Akshaya Patra Foundation scholarships, we are supporting students with remarkable spirit and exceptional potential in accessing the quality education they deserve. We are proud to help unlock the creativity and ambition of this next generation, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to learn, innovate, and create a better tomorrow.”
Reflecting on the collaboration, Mr. Dhananjay Ganjoo said:
“Our guiding belief has always been that ‘No child in India should be deprived of education because of hunger’. Through this association with Crestron, we are complementing our nutrition initiatives with educational support, empowering young talent to realise their aspirations and contribute to India’s growth.”
As a next step, Crestron Software Development India Pvt. Ltd. will further its association with The Akshaya Patra Foundation by supporting 1,000 beneficiaries through the Foundation’s PM POSHAN Programme, amplifying the impact on children’s nutritional and educational outcomes.
About Crestron
Since 1972, Crestron has been the leader in creating innovative technologies that remove barriers to connection, collaboration, communication, comfort, and control in just about every meaningful aspect of our professional and personal lives. Engineered to be simple, reliable, secure, and easy to use, Crestron sets the standard for intelligent video conferencing, digital content distribution, smart home systems, as well as control and management technology. Solutions that empower people around the world to do more, learn more, enjoy more, and achieve more.
About The Akshaya Patra Foundation
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a social impact organisation committed to addressing classroom hunger and supporting children’s health and education. As an implementing partner of the Government of India’s PM POSHAN scheme, Akshaya Patra serves 2.35 million mid-day meals to beneficiary children across 25,000+ schools. Additionally, it provides 8 lakh servings under the Morning Nutrition Programme, contributing to improved child health, increased school enrolment, attendance and retention, and better learning outcomes.
Akshaya Patra has established a robust operational network, currently functioning in 78 locations across 16 states and 3 union territories. It has set up 76 state-of-the-art centralised kitchens—globally recognised for their scale, efficiency and food safety standards—and adopted the decentralised model in two locations where setting up centralised infrastructure is difficult due to difficult terrain and road connectivity.
Akshaya Patra continuously forges partnerships and leverages technology to cater to millions of children and has served over 4 billion meals since 2000. The momentous milestone was commemorated at a special event at the UN headquarters in New York on 2 April 2024.
