Best Practices of Public-Private Partnerships for Effective Midday Meal Delivery in India

In 2001, the Indian government mandated that all government schools in the country serve a hot lunch to primary school students. As a result, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other local groups have stepped in to provide service delivery. Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) provides funding to one Indian NGO, Naandi Foundation, which serves meals to over one million children daily across four states. GAIN requested a Capstone team to visit a number of sites where Naandi works, observe operations, and interview kitchen staff, students, teachers, and government officials. The Capstone team also gathered information about the variety and complexity of relationships Naandi maintains across the public and private sectors, as well as the business principles it utilizes to create effective and efficient service delivery. The Capstone team compiled this information and produced a report that other NGOs and governments working with GAIN can use to develop effective school lunch programs in their own locales.