On 23 May 2024, The Akshaya Patra Foundation and Cargill Business Services India entered the prestigious Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records for “maximum blackboards of government schools cleaned and painted on the same day”. The initiative named Clean Slate Carnival witnessed vibrant volunteers from Cargill enthusiastically cleaning and painting 1,000+ blackboards in 99 government and government-aided schools in Bengaluru to set a new record.

Cargill’s global and India leadership, including Aparna Rao, CBS India Center Lead, and Matthew Wood, Sr. Director, Sustainability Digital, Data & Analytics, and Shridhar Venkat, the CEO of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, participated in the event with great enthusiasm. The event was an apt demonstration of the synergy between an NGO and a corporate for social good.

Aparna Rao said, “We at CBS India are thrilled to conduct this initiative, ‘Clean Slate Carnival,’ in collaboration with Akshaya Patra. This is a testament to our commitment to enhancing the educational environment for over 30,000 students in Bangalore. Education is the cornerstone of a prosperous society, and every child deserves access to quality academic resources. By cleaning and painting 1000+ blackboards in government schools, we aim to provide students with better learning facilities and a more engaging classroom experience.”

Shridhar Venkat, CEO - Akshaya Patra, extended his heartfelt gratitude to Cargill and all the volunteers who contributed to the event’s success. He said, “This event is more than just an attempt to set a record; it is a demonstration of the community’s commitment to improve educational infrastructure and create a brighter future for children across India.”