The milestone underscores both organisations’ enduring commitment to tackling classroom hunger by promoting nutrition and education under the PM POSHAN scheme L to R - Ruchi Khemka, Head of CSR, DB; Shridhar Venkat, CEO, TAPF; Kaushik Shaparia, CEO, DB; Rajarshi Chakraborty, Group COO, DB & Smriti Sharma, DB India Jaipur, Rajasthan, 23 January 2026 -- In a powerful testament to the impact of collaboration, Deutsche Bank and The Akshaya Patra Foundation marked a landmark achievement: serving 100 million mid-day meals to school children across India. The milestone was celebrated at an event in Jaipur, bringing together beneficiary children, educators, volunteers, and representatives from both organisations to honour a shared vision - ensuring that hunger never stands in the way of education.

This achievement underscores the transformative role of institutional partnerships in addressing classroom hunger and fostering inclusive education. Through its CSR initiatives, Deutsche Bank has supported Akshaya Patra’s school lunch meal programme for years, enabling the preparation and distribution of hygienic, nutritious meals aligned with the Government of India’s PM POSHAN scheme. By ensuring consistent access to nutrition, the partnership has strengthened children’s physical well-being and created an environment conducive to learning and social inclusion.

Kaushik Shaparia, CEO of Deutsche Bank Group India & Emerging Asia, said, “At Deutsche Bank, we believe collaboration is vital to creating lasting social impact, and this milestone reflects what sustained partnerships can achieve. Every meal represents dignity, opportunity, and hope for children who need it most. Together with Akshaya Patra, we are working towards a future where no child’s education is hindered by hunger.” Shridhar Venkat, CEO of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, added, “This milestone is a testament to what sustained collaboration can achieve. Deutsche Bank’s consistent support has enabled us to strengthen our operations, ensuring that nutritious meals reach children reliably every school day. He further said, “I want to thank Deutsche Bank and the Government of India for placing their trust in us. This collaboration is an apt example of the power of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in creating a robust system to address socioeconomic challenges at a scale.” Despite progress, classroom hunger and malnutrition remain barriers for children from economically weaker sections. The PM POSHAN scheme plays a critical role in combating these challenges, and partnerships like that of Deutsche Bank and Akshaya Patra complement national efforts by combining institutional support with efficient on-ground implementation.

Both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the programme’s reach and impact- ensuring that more children are nourished, educated, and empowered to realise their full potential.

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.

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.

www.db.com/india About The Akshaya Patra Foundation The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a social impact organisation committed to addressing classroom hunger and malnutrition in India. The Foundation serves as an implementing partner of the PM POSHAN Scheme in government and government-aided schools, ensuring that children receive nutritious meals, enabling better access to education and improved learning outcomes.

Since its inception in 2000, Akshaya Patra has been serving wholesome meals to children on every school day. The Foundation continuously leverages technology and process innovation to deliver food at scale while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and nutrition. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have emerged as models of operational excellence and attract visitors from across India and around the world.

With the support of the Government of India and various State Governments, Akshaya Patra has grown from serving 1,500 children in five schools to becoming one of the world’s largest not-for-profit school feeding programmes. Today, its network of kitchens spanning 78 locations across 16 states and 3 union territories enables the Foundation to reach over 2.35 million children studying in more than 23,000 schools and Anganwadis.

For Media Queries: Media contact: Deeptha Rajkumar (Deutsche Bank) Email: [email protected] Media Contact: Vivek Sathyamurthy (Akshaya Patra) Email: [email protected] (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NRDPL and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR