Kochi: Riding high on its success, Samridhi@Kochi, the Kochi Corporation-run food initiative, is expanding its footprint by taking over canteen operations at major institutions across the city.

The first step in this expansion begins today with Samridhi taking over the canteen at the headquarters of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) in Kadavanthra. The canteen was officially inaugurated at 9 AM by Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar at a function presided over by GCDA Chairman K Chandran Pillai.

Operating from 7 pm to 10 pm, the canteen will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, tea and coffee at affordable rates. Meals for the public will be available for just ₹40, while GCDA staff will receive food at subsidised prices.

Prepared at Samridhi’s central kitchen in Ernakulam North, the food will be transported daily to the GCDA canteen, which is expected to cater to 200–300 people each day.

The new initiative also marks the first phase of Samridhi’s plan to manage canteens across Kochi, including those at IT parks and other major establishments. Several organisations have already expressed interest in partnering with the canteen service initiative. By positioning itself as an affordable provider of canteen services, Samridhi aims to fill a gap for the same in the city’s food service sector.

Launched with the goal of making Kochi a hunger-free city, Samridhi@Kochi has not only gained public appreciation for offering quality meals at reasonable rates but is also empowering numerous women under the Kudumbashree by providing them with sustainable livelihoods.