Mukesh Ambani to Fund Tirumala’s New Satellite Kitchen

Tirupati: Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani has announced support for constructing a modern satellite kitchen in Tirumala to strengthen the free meal service for devotees. The new facility, to operate under the Sri Venkateswara Anna Prasadam Trust of the TTD, will have the capacity to prepare more than two lakh meals a day.

Ambani visited the Sri Venkateswara temple on Sunday and took part in the pre-dawn Suprabhata Seva. Temple priests presented him with silk vastram, while TTD additional executive officer Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary offered laddu and theertha prasadams.

At present, free meals are prepared in three kitchens—at the Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamama Annadanam Complex (MTVAC), the centralised kitchen near Panchajanyam Guest House, and another at Madhava Nilayam. These facilities operate for nearly 17 hours daily and together serve 1–1.5 lakh meals. With pilgrim footfall rising, TTD has been exploring ways to reduce the load on existing kitchens.

The relocation of the LPG complex from the MTVAC area has created space for new infrastructure. TTD has proposed establishing a satellite kitchen at the site with automated cooking systems to ensure uninterrupted service. The proposal has been placed before Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for approval.

Reliance Industries, in an official statement, confirmed Ambani’s interest in executing the project in coordination with TTD and the state government. The initiative is part of the company’s service activities and aims to support the long-standing annaprasadam tradition at Tirumala. It also aligns with the Chief Minister’s vision to extend the Anna Prasadam programme to other TTD temples across Andhra Pradesh.