True Michelin Star - Vikas Khanna

When Covid crisis brings havoc and suffering, some people make it less to suffer and try to make the country smile with their volunteering efforts. 48-year-old world-renowned chef, author and film-maker Michelin-star Vikas Khanna had organized the world’s largest Eid feast in Mumbai, which fed approximately 1.75 lakh people in the city worst-affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. He had earlier distributed millions of dry ration meals to the needy across 79 cities in India during the crisis. Khanna had told PTI, “the food is being collected at the Haji Ali Dargah from where it will be loaded in trucks and distributed around Mohammed Ali Road, Dharavi and Mahim Dargah in Mumbai with the help of over 200 volunteers and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) while adhering to all guidelines of social distancing.” On May 17, he even tweeted saying, “With your blessings, we are putting together the world's largest Eid feast - 100,000+ Kgs of dry rations, fresh & dry fruits, spices, kitchen utensils, chais, sweets, juices, etc". According to him, within hours of his tweet, individuals and companies offered him tremendous support by providing raw materials and other essential items for the meals. He said, “As India observes Eid at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has spread fear and chaos in the world, this feast showcases the soul of our country. It has been made possible by absolutely everybody coming together. It shows that in the time of such a crisis, we are holding hands and people are there for each other. India will win against the virus. India has said it will win and this effort is our stamp. This will be the common man serving the common man." It has been possible for Khanna to procure and distribute about 6 million dry ration meals, including rice, lentils and wheat flour to orphanages and old-age homes and others across 80 cities in India.

All the logistical requirements such as securing permits to transfer the ration between states, pick-up and deliveries from vendors and distribution to concerned centers are all coordinated by Khanna daily over the phone. His initiative of ‘Fuel Stations to Food Stations’ also became operational on highways in India to distribute food to thousands of laborers and migrants who are on their long journey of returning home. He said, “We are trying scale up the capacity to serve one million people per day under this initiative.”