Puducherry | June 24, 2025 : In a shared commitment to
sustainability and child welfare, BW LPG India, India’s largest
owner and operator of Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) for liquefied petroleum
gas (LPG) shipping, formalized a strategic partnership with The Akshaya
Patra Foundation, one of India’s largest social impact organisations,
through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing event held in Puducherry.
As part of the partnership, BW LPG India has facilitated the
installation of three LPG-powered industrial curry-making machines—each with a
capacity of 500 litres—at The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s centralised kitchen in
Puducherry. This kitchen, which serves over 40,000 nutritious meals daily to
children in government schools under the PM POSHAN programme, will benefit from
enhanced cooking efficiency and elevated hygiene standards, enabling more
effective large-scale meal preparation.
Further strengthening its commitment for FY 2025–26, BW LPG India will
extend a contribution exceeding ₹5.55 crore. This includes five-year Revex
support for boiler conversions in three kitchens—Puri, Udaipur, and
Chittorgarh—continued assistance for energy bills across 16 kitchens
nationwide, and backing for two new diesel-to-LPG boiler conversions, advancing
the Foundation’s shift toward cleaner, sustainable kitchen operations.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Balaji Munjurpet, CFO, The
Akshaya Patra Foundation, said: "This partnership exemplifies
the power of sustainable collaboration. BW LPG India’s commitment to clean
energy has seamlessly aligned with our mission of nourishing children. Their
support will help us improve operational efficiency, reduce emissions, and
reach more children with safe, hygienic, and wholesome meals every school
day."
Capt. Gaurav Bhatia, Director, BW LPG India, was present at the
MoU signing along with Mr. Balaji Munjurpet. He states:
“We are committed to the communities in which we operate, and we are
proud to continue our partnership with Akshaya Patra Foundation to sponsor the
energy needs of school kitchens with clean-burning LPG-fuelled equipment,
reinforcing our firm conviction in delivering cleaner energy for a better
world. Hunger and malnutrition are some of the major causes of low
enrolment, increased absenteeism, and early dropouts in schools. Energy for
cooking can change this.“
As Akshaya Patra enters its Silver Jubilee year, BW LPG India has
reaffirmed its commitment for FY 2026–27, pledging over ₹4.8 crore
in continued energy support and boiler conversion funding to strengthen the
foundation’s pan-India kitchen operations. In the upcoming financial years, BW
LPG India restated its support by continuing Revex support for the
LPG-converted kitchens with an estimated outlay of ₹1.04 crore annually till
FY 2029–30. This long-term commitment ensures sustainable energy transitions
across multiple Akshaya Patra kitchens, benefitting millions of children
nationwide.
Together, this collaboration stands as a model of how corporate
responsibility and social impact can create a lasting difference for millions
of children across India.
For more details, please log on: www.akshayapatra.org