New Delhi — In a country where hunger remains a pressing challenge, with nearly 16% of the population classified as undernourished, a Delhi teenager is taking the lead with a grassroots initiative to bridge the gap between food waste and food need.
Arman Rai Sood, a student of Vasant Valley School, is the founder of The Indian Community Kitchen (TICK) — a city-based collaborative effort aimed at feeding the undernourished through a network of hotels, event planners, and non-profit organisations.
Rather than viewing food wastage solely as an economic or developmental issue, Sood approaches it as a community problem, finding ways to transform surplus meals into sustenance for the hungry.
The idea took shape during an internship with the Intercontinental Hotel Group, where Sood gained insight into sustainable food production, waste reduction, and the role of local partnerships in minimising loss. Inspired by this experience, he began developing a long-term model to redirect unused food from the hospitality sector into community kitchens.
In October 2024, Sood formally launched TICK, working closely with NGOs and industry players to ensure hygienic food redistribution. He authored a *food safety manual, outlining procedures for safe transportation and storage of cooked meals. By December, he had successfully organized a crowdsourced fundraiser, raising ₹75,000 to cover logistics costs, in partnership with the **Prajna Foundation*.
Through collaborations with Prajna and the Eros Hotel, TICK has already provided meals for more than 200 people. Sood is now building an open-source database of hotels and event planners engaged in food redistribution, aiming to link them with grassroots organizations for maximum impact.
“Food security isn’t just about access — it’s a fundamental right,” Sood emphasized, noting that his work is rooted in the belief that growth and development should be shared equally within a community.
Looking ahead, the 17-year-old plans to study economics and entrepreneurship, with the goal of creating scalable solutions for urban hunger. His vision: a hunger-free India, achieved one plate at a time.
