Nuts and Dry Fruits Council (India) [NDFC(I)] partnered with the Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts and Nutritional Sciences (SSCANS), Pune, for Poshan Mahotsav 2026, held on 8th and 9th September in Pune, bringing the Council’s nutrition advocacy directly to the classroom.

The engagement was led by founding member Yash Gawdi along with Vijeta Gawdi, who spent time with SSCANS students discussing the role nutrition plays in everyday wellbeing and holistic growth. Rather than a formal address, the session unfolded as an open exchange, with student questions met by genuine curiosity and every response received with visible enthusiasm. For NDFC(I), moments like these extend nutrition advocacy beyond industry forums and into the classroom, where habits are still being formed.

The occasion also marked the launch of #SwapTheSweet, NDFC(I)’s newest initiative encouraging students to choose better, choose smarter and choose nutrition first. The response at SSCANS was strong, with students engaging actively with the message and reflecting the kind of early awareness the Council seeks to build across India’s youth.

Moments such as these reaffirm a simple belief at the heart of NDFC(I)’s work: building a healthier nation begins with reaching people early and reaching them right. As the Council continues to expand its Poshan Mahotsav footprint across academic institutions, this Pune chapter marks only the beginning of a longer journey towards a more nutrition-conscious generation.