One of the world’s largest technology leaders Accenture and famed NGO mid-day meal provider Akshaya Patra has teamed up to deploy disruptive technologies to significantly increase the number of mid-day meals served to children across schools in India. According to a statement released by Accenture, the “Million Meals” project has significantly revolutionized Akshaya Patra’s supply chain and operations, providing improved food quality and expanded service reach.
See how AI is driving Akshaya Patra’s Million Meals project
Through new-age technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain, global technology leader Accenture has scaled the significant challenges of production and delivery of mass meals. According to the statement, Accenture Labs, the research and development arm of Accenture, executed the project over a period of six months in Akshaya Patra’s Bengaluru kitchen.
When the project was analyzed, the results indicated a potential to improve efficiency by 20 percent, that could boost the number of meals served by millions. Akshaya Patra’s goal is to continue to optimize and streamline the program.
According to Sanjay Podder, managing director at Accenture Labs, Bengaluru, “The Accenture Labs ‘Tech for Good’ program specializes in solving complex social problems through the use of innovative technologies. Accenture Labs was excited to take up the challenge that every paisa saved in producing a single meal can result in additional meals being served to children. We thought this was an ideal proving ground to put the combined power of AI, IoT and blockchain to use.”
Shridhar Venkat, CEO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, had a similar view. “This initiative not only enhanced efficiency while giving a boost to our operations, but ensured that quality standards are met while increasing the number of meals served. We aim to expand our reach to millions of more children with the help of such technologies. This is just the beginning; we look forward to more collaborations with Accenture.”
