As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India is attaining commendable achievements in a number of fields. But there are some serious concerns which are holding the country’s progress to its full potential. We can see that hunger crisis is one of those critical issues. Despite being a major grain, pluses, vegetables and other agriculture grower, according to Global Hunger Index 2024, India ranks 105th out of 127 countries with a score of 27.3 points. Due to basic problems such as unemployment, poverty, unequal distribution and high food wastage, 1.9 crore people do not get enough to feed themselves. Among other problems, industry insights show that in India food wastage isn’t just a developmental problem but a community one. Despite our strong religious and social believes of considering food and grains as a blessing of God, our attitude towards food wastage remains far from serious. And it won’t be wrong to say that this situation is graving as people are not ready to comprehend that food wastage is one of the major causes which leads to hunger problem.
Here come the members of the young generation who are conscious about this basic problem and believe that hunger situation is a violation of our fundamental rights. These young men and women are ready to understand the real causes and bring the possible solutions too. Arman Rai Sood, a student of Vasant Valley School, is one of those young and responsible members of the society. He is the silent connoisseur behind ‘The Indian Community Kitchen’ (TICK), Delhi’s very own community kitchen serving meals to the underfed people from underserved communities. Arman’s initiative stands out for its ingenious model of tackling a problem as multifaceted as urban food insecurity, encouraging collaborations across the hospitality and service sectors to redirect food waste.
Arman’s work in the hospitality industry began with a simple internship with the Intercontinental Hotel Group. While working in the sector, he explored sustainable food production and the importance of local partnerships in ensuring that no meal goes to waste. Illustrating his entrepreneurial thinking and futuristic vision, Arman embarked on an endeavor to transform this experience into a long-term venture and initiate one of its kind activities for the society.
Working closely with large event planners, hotels, and NGOs, Arman laid the groundwork for TICK in October 2024. As part of this initiative, he curated a food safety manual that highlights safety regulations for the hygienic transportation and storage of cooked food. In December, young Arman also organized a crowdsourced fundraiser, successfully raising an amount of INR 75,000, which he used to facilitate the logistics of the community kitchen in collaboration with the Prajna Foundation, a Delhi-based NGO.
TICK is a reminder that food security is not just about access to food—it is a basic right of every human being. Arman’s initiative highlights that a little change in our attitude towards basic things can ensure that development and growth are shared equally within our communities. Acting on these principles, Arman fostered a collaboration with Prajna and the Eros Hotel to provide meals for 200+ people in the NCR region. Currently, Arman is building an open-source database of event planners and hotels that work in food redistribution to connect them to local actors and grassroots organizations.
Arman’s initiative highlights the transformational potential that young minds have in recognizing and building effective solutions. When it comes to the path forward, Arman is passionate and dedicated about pursuing an education in economics and entrepreneurship to explore solutions for acute social challenges, especially in the domain of urban hunger. His youthful determination has written the first chapter in contributing Delhi’s urban food landscape, moving towards a hunger-free India, one plate at a time.
