The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple Trust has devised an out-of-the-box idea to curb malnutrition - laddoos packed with essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamins, among others. Officials said each malnourished child will be given a free packet of two laddoos daily. The additional cost of fortification will be Rs 1 per laddoo and will be absorbed by the temple trust with support from the state.

Three well-known names from premier institutions - Dr Alka Jadhav, paediatric professor, Sion Hospital, Prof NG Shah from IIT's Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas, and Prof Uday Anapure, Head, Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) - have started work on making the fortified laddoos, which will have the same shelf life and taste of the regular Siddhivinayak laddoos.