What does it take to serve thousands of children a nutritious school meal every day?
A whole lot of planning. A whole lot of cooking. And, in Andhra Pradesh,
10 kitchens working together with one
mission: to help ensure children get the nourishment they need to learn, grow
and dream.
From Visakhapatnam to Kalyandurg, Akshaya Patra’s kitchens are busy long
before the school bell rings. Pots are filled, ingredients are prepared and
meals are cooked with care before making their way to schools.
And the best part? This isn’t just about food.
It’s about putting a nutritious meal on a child’s plate so they can put
more energy into the things that matter: learning, playing, asking questions and imagining a bigger future.
So, shall we take a little food-powered tour of Andhra Pradesh?
10 kitchens. 10
locations. One deliciously important mission.
Think of Akshaya Patra’s kitchens as a giant backstage crew.
Children see the final act: a freshly prepared school meal.
Behind that meal is a carefully coordinated kitchen operation where food
is prepared at scale and sent to schools so children can enjoy their meals
during the school day.
Here’s where the 10 kitchens across Andhra Pradesh come in:
That is a lot of rice. A lot of dal. A lot of vegetables.
And, most importantly, a lot of
children who can benefit from a nutritious meal at school.
First stop: Visakhapatnam
Our Andhra Pradesh kitchen story begins in Visakhapatnam, where Akshaya Patra’s centralised kitchen was
established in 2008.
With a capacity of 25,000 meals
a day, it became an important part of the effort to serve nutritious
school meals to children.
Imagine 25,000 school meals being prepared for young minds getting ready
for another day of lessons, laughter and learning.
That’s not just a busy kitchen.
That’s a kitchen with a very busy purpose.
Then came Kakinada
In 2015, the journey expanded to Kakinada.
The centralised kitchen here has a capacity of 15,000 meals a day, adding another important link to Akshaya
Patra’s school meal network in the state.
One kitchen became two.
And the mission? Still exactly the same.
Mangalagiri turns up the scale
Next stop: Mangalagiri.
Established in 2016, this centralised kitchen has a stated capacity of 50,000 meals a day.
The Mangalagiri kitchen is also ISO
22000:2018 certified, reflecting a structured approach to food safety
management.
If kitchens had superpowers, this one would definitely have the ability
to turn mountains of ingredients into thousands of school meals.
Nellore joins the journey
In 2017 Nellore,
became home to another centralised kitchen.
With a capacity of 15,000 meals
a day, it further strengthened Akshaya Patra’s ability to serve children
through school meals.
At this point, the map was beginning to look rather delicious.
But Akshaya Patra wasn’t done yet.
More kitchens. More reach.
Over the next few years, the network continued to grow.
Gudivada, established in 2018, has a capacity of 10,000
meals a day.
Kuppam, established in 2019, can prepare 25,000 meals a
day and is ISO 22000:2018 certified.
Srikakulam, also established in 2019, has a capacity of
25,000 meals a day and carries ISO 22000:2018 certification.
Gambhiram, established in 2019, has a capacity of 20,000
meals a day and is also ISO 22000:2018 certified.
And then there’s Ongole,
with a capacity of 3,000 meals a day.
Each location adds another point on the map.
But the real impact isn't on a map.
It’s on a school plate.
And then came Kalyandurg
The newest kitchen on this list is Kalyandurg in Anantapur, established in 2022.
With a capacity of 5,000 meals a day, it represents another step in
expanding the reach of school meal support in Andhra Pradesh.
Ten kitchens now form a network across the state.
Different locations.
Different capacities.
Different years.
One mission.
So, what happens after the cooking?
Here’s the part where the kitchen gets moving.
A centralised kitchen is not simply a place where food is cooked. It is
part of a larger system designed to prepare meals at scale and facilitate their
delivery to schools.
The aim is simple: help children receive a nutritious meal during the
school day without having to worry about where their next meal is coming from.
Because when a child has a nourishing meal in front of them, they can
focus on what’s happening in front of the classroom.
A maths problem.
A science experiment.
A story.
A football match at recess.
Or perhaps that one very important question every child eventually asks:
“Can I have some more?”
More than a meal
A school meal can do more than fill a plate.
For many children, it can support their ability to stay engaged in
school and participate in the school day with greater focus.
It can also help make school a more supportive environment for children
from communities where access to nutritious food may be a challenge.
This is why Akshaya Patra’s work goes beyond the kitchen.
The larger goal is to support children so that food does not become a
barrier to education.
A quick quiz before
you go
Let’s see if you’ve been paying attention.
Which Akshaya Patra kitchen in Andhra Pradesh has the highest stated
daily capacity?
A. Visakhapatnam
B. Mangalagiri
C. Nellore
D. Kuppam
If you picked Mangalagiri, give yourself a pat.
With a capacity of 50,000 meals a day, it leads this particular
kitchen list.
Now, one more:
How many centralised kitchens does Akshaya Patra have in Andhra Pradesh
in this list?
You guessed it.
10.
From kitchens to classrooms
The easiest way to think about Akshaya Patra’s work is this:
The kitchen prepares the meal.
The school becomes the setting.
The child is at the centre of it all.
Every meal served is an opportunity to support a child's school day with
nourishment.
And behind every meal is a chain of people, processes and purpose
working together to make it happen.
That is what makes these 10 kitchens special.
They aren’t simply buildings filled with giant vessels and busy
kitchens.
They are part of a larger effort to help children arrive at the
classroom ready to learn, participate and dream.
10 kitchens, thousands of plates, countless
possibilities
From the coastal stretch of Visakhapatnam to Kalyandurg in Anantapur,
Akshaya Patra’s kitchens have grown into an important network serving school
children across Andhra Pradesh.
10 kitchens.
193,000 meals of combined stated daily capacity.
One mission.
To help ensure that children have access to nutritious school meals and
the opportunity to make the most of their education.
Because sometimes, supporting a child’s biggest dreams starts with
something wonderfully simple:
A nourishing meal on their plate.