India Inc steps up mental health focus amid rising workplace stress

Social media these days are flooded with posts where the corporate workforce is complaining of burn-out

Indian corporations are increasingly prioritising mental health initiatives, a direct response to growing concerns over employee burnout and anxiety, particularly exacerbated by the perceived threats of artificial intelligence to job security.

An analysis of recent annual reports by Moneycontrol reveals that several of the country's largest companies are establishing robust institutional frameworks to address the mental and emotional well-being of their workforce.

Among the prominent names leading this charge are Hindustan Unilever, Nestle, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, signalling a significant shift in corporate responsibility towards employee welfare.

“We offer resources and training for psychological safety and mental health, including Mental Health Champion (MHC) training, with over 1,000 employees trained to provide support to colleagues in need. Our Global Health & Wellbeing Hub provides access to MHCs, e-learning for managers, and self-learning resources,” said HUL in its FY25 annual report.

This development gains significance amidst a surge in complaints regarding work-related stress and its impact on individual lives. Social media these days are flooded with posts where the corporate workforce is complaining of burn-out.  Over the past three to four years, numerous surveys have consistently highlighted the pervasive nature of mental health challenges within the workplace.

“Investing in mental well-being isn't just ethical, it's a strategic imperative for a resilient and thriving workforce. Companies have understood key metrics such as attrition, productivity etc. are indirect linked to well-being of their employees,” said Aishwarya Jain, founder, I’M Happiness – a mental well-being start-up. “However, companies need to ensure employees who take help from say in house counsellor or talk about well-being are not viewed with stigma,” Jain added.

This proactive stance taken by these companies also marks a crucial change in the approach of corporations who are now increasingly recognising mental health as integral to a productive and sustainable workforce.

“Prioritizing mental health in the workplace is no longer optional, it’s a strategic imperative. In India, workplace mental health is prioritised across industries because we know that a resilient, engaged workforce is the cornerstone of our success especially as we navigate through the impact of digital fatigue, and a multigenerational hybrid environment.” Said Arti Dua, Talent Leader, EY India.

Actively participating in these initiatives are software companies where workforce has been facing unprecedented pressure due to the slowdown in the growth of Indian IT sector. With advent of AI, employees are feeling even more anxious, say market participants.

“We have established numerous interventions to address occupational health-related topics such as emotional well-being, mental health, ergonomics, safety, lifestyle diseases and more. Well-equipped occupational health centers are available at all our campuses in India,” Infosys said in its annual report.

Tech Mahindra has launched a platform named Mind@ease as a part of its corporate social responsibility(CSR) which not just caters to its own employees but anyone else across the country seeking support.

“(Tech Mahindra has created) Mental Health Playbook, institutionalised to emphasise and promote holistic well-being, providing support and resources to individuals for managing stress, boosting resilience, and growing professionally in their roles,” said the company in its FY25 annual report.

Mental health experts say post pandemic, companies have started enhancing mental well-being support system with all major firms now putting up in-house teams of psychologists and counsellors.

Experts also say companies need to put in place confidentiality clauses ensuring any information/inputs shared by employees during such mental well-being sessions remains confidential.