Automation Anywhere Partners with Akshaya Patra
In a significant step towards enhancing charitable operations in India, Automation Anywhere, a leader in Agentic Process Automation (APA), has entered a historic partnership with the Akshaya Patra Foundation. This collaboration aims to streamline the provision of lunch to 5 million schoolchildren daily, leveraging smart AI logistics to optimize efficiency and operational capabilities.
Transforming Charity Operations
Known for its impactful work, Akshaya Patra currently serves over 2.35 million children across 25,000 public schools in India. The collaboration with Automation Anywhere has already led to remarkable improvements in donor engagement processes, with a remarkable reduction of processing times from over 20 hours to just 40 minutes. This dramatic cut allows the organization to better focus on its primary mission: feeding millions.
The infusion of AI is aimed at enhancing several operational areas, including donor management, route optimization, and supply chain workflow. This strategic enhancement has resulted in increased efficiency and transparency and has expanded the foundation's operational scalability. With Automation Anywhere's support, Akshaya Patra can redirect its workforce to engage more deeply with its mission of child nutrition.
Vinod Sudhakar, Chief Information Officer at the Akshaya Patra Foundation, remarked, "We see technology as a transformative catalyst. Our partnership with Automation Anywhere allows us to harness AI capabilities not just to streamline processes, but also to enhance our service to children nationwide. More intelligent tools enable us to impact a larger number of children more rapidly and sustainably."
Amplifying Social Impact
Neeti Mehta Shukla, Co-founder and Chief Social Impact Officer at Automation Anywhere, expressed, "We believe technology can help amplify social impact. This collaboration showcases how AI-driven automation can foster substantial change, ensuring that every rupee stretches further, every meal arrives faster, and every child receives better nourishment. We merge compassion with precision to build a stronger, healthier India, and we are honored to support a mission-driven organization like Akshaya Patra."
Future Prospects
With the initial phase proving successful with substantial results, plans are underway to broaden the partnership's scope. Future enhancements will include AI-driven procurement processes to enable direct sourcing from local farmers and millers, alongside incorporating demand-driven production mechanisms. These changes aim to significantly minimize food wastage. Additionally, improvements in delivery logistics and resource planning are set to bolster operational resilience as Akshaya Patra continues to expand its reach.
Akshaya Patra is also set to utilize real-time data and AI-powered automation to strengthen logistics performance across its fleet of over 2,200 delivery vehicles, which currently operate on more than 1,500 daily routes. Efforts will focus on optimizing route planning, improving fuel efficiency, and enhancing operational visibility.
This partnership exemplifies a shared commitment to harnessing the power of agentic automation and data-driven innovation to create a future of education devoid of malnutrition for all children in the country.
About Automation Anywhere
As a pioneer in Agentic Process Automation, Automation Anywhere enables organizations to leverage AI-powered robots that work alongside employees to automate complex business processes, enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and real-world impact.
About Akshaya Patra Foundation
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a social impact organization dedicated to combating hunger in classrooms and supporting children's health and education. As an implementation partner for the Indian government's PM POSHAN program, Akshaya Patra serves around 2.35 million midday meals to beneficiary children in over 25,000 schools. Additionally, it provides 800,000 portions under its morning nutrition program, thereby improving children's health, educational enrollment, attendance, and retention.
Established with a robust operational network that spans 78 sites in 16 states and 3 Union territories, Akshaya Patra boasts 76 state-of-the-art centralized kitchens globally recognized for their scale, efficiency, and food safety standards. In regions where setting up centralized infrastructure is challenging due to terrain and road connectivity, the foundation has adopted a decentralized model.
Continuously forming partnerships and leveraging technology to meet the needs of millions of children, Akshaya Patra has served over 4 billion meals since its inception in 2000. This milestone was celebrated at a special event held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on April 2, 2024. For more details, please visit
www.akshayapatra.org.