Apni Thali Serves 360 Families on Day One at Kalyan Singh Super Speciality Cancer Institute, Lucknow

June 27, 2026

Apni Thali Serves 360 Families on Day One at Kalyan Singh Super Speciality Cancer Institute, Lucknow
RAVC Foundation, backed by RAVC Group, partners with KSSSCI and Sharda Welfare Society to provide free nightly dinner to attendants of cancer patients — built on sharing, not charity


Lucknow, 27 June 2026.
A landmark moment in compassionate healthcare unfolded today at Kalyan Singh Super Speciality Cancer Institute (KSSSCI), Lucknow, as the ‘Apni Thali’ initiative served its first dinner to attendants of admitted cancer patients. On the very first evening, 360 family members of patients undergoing treatment at KSSSCI came forward to receive a warm, nutritious meal — far exceeding initial projections. The first thali was served by Dr. Varun Vijay who reiterated the words of Dr. M.L.B. Bhatt, Director, and Dr. Vijendra Kumar, the Chief Medical Superintendent, that “KSSSCI is committed to providing a wholesome, caring environment to not only the patients but also their attendants who accompany them through the treatment.”
THE PROBLEM NO ONE TALKS ABOUT
Cancer is not a diagnosis that affects one person alone. Patients undergoing long-term treatment are accompanied by family members — parents, spouses, children, siblings — who remain by their side for weeks and months. While the hospital provides nutritious meals to the patient, attending family members are frequently left dependent on food from outside — expensive, hard to access, and often unhygienic when relied upon for extended periods. The sustained physical and emotional strain, compounded by poor nutrition, leaves attendants weakened at precisely the moment their loved one needs them most.
KSSSCI: COMPASSIONATE CARE THAT EXTENDS BEYOND THE PATIENT
Under the proactive leadership of Director Prof. (Dr.) M.L.B. Bhatt, KSSSCI has long believed that truly compassionate healthcare must extend its care beyond the patient to every family standing beside them. The Institute has taken the lead in bringing this partnership together and has provided the full institutional support to make it possible — including a dedicated dining hall, steel crockery, water and utilities, safety and security for the programme team, and a designated nodal officer for day-to-day coordination. By enabling this initiative within its premises, KSSSCI has affirmed that the wellbeing of attendants is as much a responsibility of the institution as the treatment of its patients.
RAVC FOUNDATION: INITIATIVE, FUNDING, AND GIVING BACK
Apni Thali is a flagship initiative of RAVC Foundation — the social responsibility arm of the RAVC Group, one of India’s leading renewable energy companies active across Solar EPC, IPP, C&I, and O&M operations spanning multiple states. RAVC Foundation is funded through a dedicated share of RAVC Group’s annual profits, rooted in the firm belief that every business owes a meaningful return to the society it operates in. The Foundation conceptualised, funds, and anchors the ‘Apni Thali’ programme, bringing together institutional partners and the sustained resources needed to make it a long-term reality rather than a one-time gesture.
SHARDA WELFARE SOCIETY: KITCHEN AND DISTRIBUTION
The ground-level partner of Apni Thali is Sharda Welfare Society, a Lucknow-based registered NGO that manages the kitchen and distribution operation under the guidance of a qualified chef appointed by RAVC Foundation. Sharda Welfare Society ensures that every meal is freshly prepared, hygienically packed, and delivered on time — every day, seven days a week — in full compliance with FSSAI food safety standards. Fulfilling the additional mandate from RAVC Foundation, Sharda is also actively creating job opportunities, especially for women, by bringing informal workers into the formal workforce through the Apni Thali programme.
ONE RUPEE — SHARING, NOT CHARITY
Apni Thali is built on a philosophy of sharing rather than giving. To protect the dignity and self-respect of every recipient, attendants can voluntarily make a contribution of just one rupee in exchange for the meal they receive. The meal is never withheld for non-payment — but the one rupee is not framed as charity; it is a token of sharing between equals, affirming that this is a relationship of mutual respect, not a handout. This founding principle gives Apni Thali its name and its character.
DAY ONE: 360 FAMILIES SERVED
Under a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding signed between KSSSCI, RAVC Foundation, and Sharda Welfare Society, the Apni Thali nightly dinner programme commenced on 27 June 2026. The response on the very first day was overwhelming: 360 family members of patients undergoing treatment at KSSSCI came forward and were served a warm, nutritious dinner. The programme is designed to serve between 200 and 250 attendants per evening on a regular basis, with meals served between 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM in the designated dining hall of the Institute.

VOICES
“At KSSSCI, our commitment does not end at the patient’s bedside. A patient’s recovery is deeply connected to the wellbeing of the family standing beside them. We are proud to have enabled Apni Thali within our premises — and the response on day one, with 360 families served, speaks for itself.”
— Prof. (Dr.) M.L.B. Bhatt, Director, KSSSCI

“RAVC Group has been built on the conviction that business and society are not separate — one must give back to the other. RAVC Foundation is how we honour that. RAVC stands for ‘Real Asset Value Creation’. RAVC Foundation stands for ‘Real Work, Real Impact’. Apni Thali is not about handing food to people. It is about standing beside them — with care and compassion, while ensuring the dignity and self-respect due to family and friends.”
— Ram Anuj Verma, Founder-CEO, RAVC Group

“Sharda Welfare Society has always believed in serving those who are missed by the society, often unseen and unheard. We are honoured to manage the kitchen and distribution for Apni Thali at KSSSCI, and to be part of something that treated 360 families with warmth on its very first evening.”
— Atul Tiwari, President, Sharda Welfare Society


ABOUT APNI THALI
Apni Thali is RAVC Foundation’s food security initiative, anchored in the belief that food is not charity but an act of sharing. Under the programme, meals are served at a voluntary contribution of Re 1, preserving the dignity of every recipient. Sharda Welfare Society manages kitchen preparation and distribution in compliance with FSSAI standards. The initiative has previously been serving meals outside government hospitals across Lucknow on a rotating weekday basis. The launch at KSSSCI marks Apni Thali’s first permanent, daily, institution-based service.
ABOUT RAVC FOUNDATION
RAVC Foundation is a Section 8 not-for-profit company publicly launched on 11 May 2026. It is the social responsibility initiative of RAVC Group — one of India’s leading renewable energy companies with operations in Solar EPC, IPP, C&I, and O&M across multiple states. Its work spans six pillars: food security, health and healthcare, education, employment, elder care, and renewable energy. Its guiding philosophy is ‘Real Work. Real Impact’.
ABOUT SHARDA WELFARE SOCIETY
Sharda Welfare Society is a Lucknow-based registered NGO with a long-standing commitment to service for those in need. As RAVC Foundation’s kitchen and distribution partner for the Apni Thali initiative, Sharda Welfare Society manages the end-to-end preparation and distribution of meals in accordance with applicable FSSAI food safety regulations.