AKSHAYA PATRA STUDENT IMMERSION PROGRAM
DATE: 06 AUGUST 2025
The BGS Institute of Hotel Management (BGSIHM), Bangalore, organized a Student Immersion Program for its Third and Fifth Semester BHM students to the Akshaya Patra Foundation located at Vasanthapura, V K Hills, Bangalore. This program was part of the Institute’s commitment to provide experiential learning and exposure to large-scale food service operations. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is the world’s largest (not-for-profit) organization running mid-day meal programs and is widely acclaimed for its operational excellence, food safety standards, and technological innovations in mass catering.
The key objectives of this immersion program were as follows:
- To expose students to centralized bulk food production and distribution systems.
- To provide an understanding of modern kitchen equipment used in high-volume catering.
- To demonstrate best practices in hygiene, sanitation, and food safety standards.
- To foster awareness about the logistics and supply chain mechanisms used in delivering meals to thousands of children daily.
- To help students draw connections between hospitality education and community service.
- To instil values of social responsibility, empathy, and ethical food practices in young hospitality professionals.
The Student Immersion Program provided a rich, insightful experience with the following tangible learning outcomes:
- Understanding of Volume Catering: Students gained a real-world perspective on the planning, preparation, and delivery involved in serving over 1 lakh meals daily.
- Operational Excellence: Students appreciated the importance of workflow design, team coordination, and time management in industrial kitchens.
- Food Safety Compliance: The visit helped students witness how ISO standards, HACCP, and FSSAI regulations are implemented in practice.
- Sustainability and Resource Management: Students learned about the Foundation’s initiatives to minimize water usage, use biogas, and manage waste efficiently.
- Community Engagement: The program sensitized students to the social impact of food service, emphasizing that hospitality is not just about luxury, but also about compassion and nourishment.
The Student Immersion Program to the Akshaya Patra Foundation was a highly enriching experience for the BHM students of BGSIHM. It offered a unique platform to bridge theoretical knowledge with real-life applications in large-scale food production. Beyond technical learnings, it instilled a deeper sense of social responsibility, aligning with BGSIHM’s vision of nurturing responsible, skilled, and empathetic hospitality professionals. The visit reinforced the idea that food service can be both efficient and humanitarian, and that the hospitality industry holds great potential to contribute meaningfully to society.
