Feeding Dreams, Building Healthy and Productive Citizens – Sai Prasad Ivaturi’s Talk at TEDxMall Road
TEDx is a global platform where inspiring individuals share powerful ideas to spark change. Under the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,” independently organized TEDx events bring together thought leaders and changemakers to share stories that can transform communities.
On July 19, 2025, Mr. Sai Prasad Ivaturi, CFO and Trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust, delivered an impactful talk at TEDxMall
Sai Prasad has transitioned from a successful corporate career—as a senior director heading Asia operations at HP—to dedicating his life fully to humanitarian service. As CFO and Board Member of the Annapoorna Morning Nutrition Program, he currently leads one of the world’s largest child nutrition missions, serving over 10 million children every school day across 25 States and 4 Union Territories of India.
He also serves as Board Advisor of the One World One Family Foundation, a unique public service mission spanning 80 countries, contributing to education, nutrition, and healthcare initiatives, including 30,000+ free heart surgeries and 28 values-based educational campuses.
“To listen to Sai Prasad’s complete TEDx talk, click here:
💬 Highlights from his TEDx Talk: A Journey from Hunger to Hope
In his talk titled “Feeding Dreams, Building Healthy and Productive Citizens,” Sai Prasad shared a heartfelt narrative of how the Annapoorna Morning Nutrition movement was born.
He began by painting a vivid picture from rural India, where teachers often have to go searching for students hiding behind houses and trees, reluctant to attend classes. Even when brought into class, children often doze off by the second or third hour—not from disinterest, but because they come to school on an empty stomach. Many of them, he said, survive only on a cup of tea as “breakfast.”
This harsh reality inspired him, along with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Anand Kadali and a few colleagues, to begin a simple yet transformative idea — feed the children before classes start. What started as experiments with cooked breakfasts, ragi-based drinks, and choco-malt versions became a superhit among children, who eagerly asked for second and third servings. This gave birth to SaiSure, a nutrient-rich, tasty and cost-effective health mix.
As children began receiving timely morning nutrition every day, something remarkable happened:
- Dropout rates reduced
- School attendance improved
- Academic performance rose
- Teachers became more motivated, as students now arrived early and eager to learn
What began as a small effort soon grew into a nationwide movement. Today, SaiSure is served to over 10 million children every morning, making it India’s largest morning nutrition program led by an NGO.
Sai Prasad emphasized that this is not charity but preventive healthcare and common-sense nation-building. Early nutrition prevents stunting, anaemia, low birth weight, and long-term health complications—especially among girls. “We are not just feeding children—we are building healthy, productive citizens for the next generation,” he said.
He also highlighted the cost-effectiveness of SaiSure: while commercial health drinks cost around ₹40, SaiSure costs less than ₹3 per serving, thanks to large-scale efficiencies.
Concluding his talk, Sai Prasad gave a powerful call to action:
“India ranks 105 out of 127 in the Global Hunger Index. This is unacceptable. Let’s build an India where no child is too hungry to dream. One meal. One child. One village at a time.”
🌟 A Mission of Love and Impact
Sai Prasad’s journey from corporate boardrooms to rural classrooms embodies the power of purpose-driven leadership. His message at TEDxMall Road is a reminder that compassion can be scaled, and purpose can transform lives — turning hunger into hope, and children into healthy, productive citizens.
