Eighteen companies were recognized as 2014’s Healthy Workplaces and received trophies and commendations from Arogya World India Trust chairman Mr. B.S. Ramaswamy at an event in Bangalore on Nov 11, 2014. These pioneering companies ranged from small to large businesses, from global multinationals to quintessentially Indian companies, and included public sector organizations for the first time. The 2014 Healthy Workplaces covered technology, manufacturing, as well as healthcare and education.
A full-page newspaper ad in the Business Standard on November 14, 2014, marked World Diabetes Day and congratulated all the winners for their efforts to improve the health of their employees and prevent chronic disease.
It was invigorating to hear from Dr. Dinesh Prajapati (pictured right), the Chief Medical Officer at Reliance Industries, Hoshiarpur, who represented 2014’s Healthy Workplaces, and from Mr. Taranjit Singh Rekhi from IGate, who represented 2013’s Healthy Workplaces, on their companies’ workplace wellness efforts.
Dr. Thimappa Hegde (pictured below), a neurosurgeon, and Director and Senior Consultant at Narayana Hridayalaya, provided the keynote speech, and gave all assembled much food for thought. He told us, with unforgettable stories, that we must be physically fit but also must emphasize mental and spiritual well-being in order to be flexible. Fitness and flexibility are both critical for success in today’s world. Arogya’s partners including NationWide and ITiffin were also present at the event.
At a workshop held earlier that afternoon, which was chaired by Arogya World’s Dr. Geeta Bharadwaj (pictured below with the Healthy Workplaces from Aditya Birla Group), the winning companies shared rich and specific examples of the ways they promote wellness. It was exciting to see how different companies met our Healthy Workplace criteria and to learn first-hand how much they truly cared for the well-being of their employees. Dr. Ilene Klein, global head of employee health services at Qualcomm, who provided closing comments at the workshop, said she was struck by how companies in India consistently cared for the physical, mental, and emotional health of their employees. She reflected on how the emphasis was so much more on just physical employee wellness in the United States. Arogya World is proud to be taking a uniquely Indian approach to championing workplace wellness for chronic disease prevention in India.
Arogya World’s Healthy Workplace team worked hard to pull off this event. Many thanks to:
- Nandini Ganesh, who serves as event and program coordinator
- Geeta Bharadwaj, who tirelessly leads the entire Healthy Workplace program and manages the in-person assessments
- Bala Aryan, who works on Business Development and also served as the emcee of the event
