Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna honoured for feeding millions in India amid COVID-19

Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna will be houred with prestigious 2020 Asia Game Changer Award for feeding millions across India amid COVID-19 pandemic through a massive food distribution drive that he coordinated from thousands of miles away in his Manhattan home.

Asia Game Changer Awards, launched by Asia Society -- a US-based n-profit organisation -- in 2014, identify and hour true leers who make a positive contribution to future of Asia.

Khanna is only Indian among six hourees named by leing organisation on Wednesday.

Preeminent cellist Yo-Yo Ma, tennis champion Naomi Osaka, Korean boy band BTS, producer of Oscar-winning film 'Parasite' Miky Lee and business leers and philanthropists Joe and Clara Tsai are hourees of Asia Game Changer Awards "for ir responses to year's twin traumas of COVID-19 and racially motivated violence".

Khanna is being houred “for dropping everything to feed millions in India at a time of great need and suffering”.

As COVID-19 pandemic hit India, Khanna, sitting thousands of miles away in New York, launched a food distribution drive that steily reached millions across country. Since April, Khanna’s #FeedIndia initiative has distributed 35 million meals, including cooked and dry ration, as well as 500,000 slippers, 3.5 million sanitary ps, two million masks and or essential supplies across hundreds of cities throughout India.

Khanna told PTI he feels “humbled” by hour from an eminent organisation that has played a tremendous role in promoting Asian culture.

"I’m humbled to be among such a great line-up of awardees,” he said.

From actor Dev Patel to bel laureate Malala Yousafzai, Khanna said, over years Asia Society has houred people who wield tremendous “cultural influence” over millions around world.

Khanna, who h earlier said that he feels past 30 years have been preparing him for this moment of humanitarian crisis, ded, "This has been most gratifying (time) in my culinary career." virtual event to hour awardees will be held in October and will also feature a special mess by New York Goverr Andrew Cuomo, a performance from Yo-Yo Ma, and a feature to hour frontline health care workers in US and Asia.

“In this time of profound global challenge, our 2020 Game Changers shine a beacon of love and cour across our divided globe,” Asia Society President and CEO Josette Sheeran said. “y have met moment, and y have inspired world. We are houred to bring m to our signature global event.” Asia Society said while Khanna has been feeding people since he was a child, “but t until 2020 did it become a matter of life or death.” Watching hardships and struggles of millions of people across India as pandemic hit, Khanna issued a “heartfelt plea for information on communities in need” from his Manhattan apartment.

Khanna partnered with India’s National Disaster Relief Force for logistical and on--ground support and his movement soon received aid from grain companies, tech firms, and offers of industrial kitchen in Mumbai.

popular Korean boy band is being houred for raising ir voices and inspiring ir huge global audience to stand against any form of discrimination, while Asia Society lauded Lee for shining a light on inequality and blazing a trail for Korea on global st. organisation said Yo-Yo Ma is being awarded for “a lifetime of achievement and providing 'songs of comfort' to millions when world needed it most.” Osaka, who won her second US Open title this month, is being houred "for using her large global platform to call for racial justice and social change".

As COVID-19 tightened its grip on New York, and severe short of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) in US became apparent, Tsais “swept into action”.

"As co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, sourcing from China was in Joe Tsai’s DNA,” Asia Society said ding that through ir eponymous foundation, Tsais donated millions of masks, goggles, and ventilators to hospitals and nursing homes in New York, n epicentre of coronavirus. Past awardees include PepsiCo’s former CEO Indra oyi, South Delhi Deputy Police Commissioner Chhaya Sharma, Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Co-Founder and CEO of n-governmental education organization Pratham, Mhav Chavan.