Mothers power Vedanta’s nutrition drive, Nand Ghar serves 15 lakh meals across communities

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 4, 2026

As India observes National Nutrition Week, Vedanta Group’s flagship social impact initiative Nand Ghar is putting mothers at the centre of its efforts to improve childhood nutrition, with its Mother’s Food Preparation Programme having engaged nearly two lakh mothers, enabled 15 lakh meals and disbursed nearly Rs 60 lakh in remuneration through UPI.

The initiative seeks to take the concept of home-style nutrition beyond the household by involving mothers directly in preparing fresh and nutritious meals for children at Nand Ghars, modernised Anganwadi centres that focus on health and nutrition, early childhood education and women’s empowerment.

The programme has emerged as a community-led model that gives mothers an opportunity to contribute directly to the wellbeing of children while also creating an additional avenue for income. Mothers are selected and engaged by Nand Ghar Didis, or Anganwadi workers, with participation organised through a monthly roster to ensure that women from the local community get an opportunity to take part.

Nand Ghar currently reaches nearly five lakh children and four lakh women through more than 15,000 centres spread across 18 states, with interventions covering nutrition, healthcare, early childhood development and women’s empowerment.

By placing mothers directly in the food preparation process, the programme brings the care and accountability associated with home-cooked meals into the Anganwadi setting. Greater attention to freshness, cleanliness and food quality, along with the familiarity of home-style food, can make mealtimes more engaging for children. The approach also gives mothers greater ownership of what children consume and helps translate awareness about healthy feeding into practices that can continue within their homes.

The programme has reported encouraging outcomes among children, with 97 per cent receiving food through the initiative and 97 per cent of Nand Ghars reporting improved appetite and attendance among children. Further, 99 per cent of children are observed to be active and happy after their meals, while 89 per cent finish their entire meal.

The Mother’s Food Preparation Programme is complemented by locally relevant nutrition interventions that use locally available food ingredients and cater to different nutritional needs. These include millet-based Nutri Bars, Shishu Sanjeevani, a fortified halwa developed by the National Dairy Development Board, and fresh fruit supplementation.

Nand Ghar is also strengthening its nutrition strategy through targeted and evidence-led interventions. In Rajasthan, Project Balvardhan brings together nutrition and healthcare interventions aimed at improving outcomes for children and mothers. The initiative combines food supplementation, growth monitoring, maternal participation, nutrition awareness and healthcare support to address childhood nutrition in a more holistic manner.

 “Nutrition becomes truly sustainable when communities are empowered to make it a part of everyday life. By bringing mothers directly into food preparation and combining this with nutrition awareness, scientific interventions and healthcare support, we are helping families build healthier practices that can continue beyond the Nand Ghar,” said Shashi Arora, CEO, Nand Ghar.

 “This approach reflects our Chairman, Anil Agarwal’s larger vision of creating meaningful and lasting change by empowering communities and investing in the wellbeing of India’s next generation. Our endeavour is to ensure that every child has access to the nourishment they need to grow, learn and thrive, while mothers are equipped with the knowledge, confidence and opportunity to play an active role in shaping their children’s development,” Arora added.

Nand Ghar’s integrated model is based on the recognition that nutrition, healthcare, learning and early childhood development are closely interconnected. By placing mothers and local communities at the heart of its nutrition efforts, the programme aims not only to improve children’s immediate access to nutritious food but also to build healthier practices and greater awareness that can have a lasting impact on families.

Nand Ghar is a flagship project under the Anil Agarwal Foundation focused on modernising India’s Anganwadi ecosystem and empowering women and children. With more than 15,000 centres across 18 states, the programme provides integrated services spanning nutrition, early childhood education, healthcare and women’s empowerment through skill development.

The initiative currently reaches more than five lakh children and four lakh women and has a long-term vision of transforming all 14 lakh Anganwadis across India, with the potential to impact eight crore children and two crore women.