LiveLoveLaugh Launches Data-Driven Mental Health Program to Revolutionize Indian Workplaces

Bengaluru: The LiveLoveLaugh Foundation (LLL), a charitable trust founded in 2015, today announced the launch of its Corporate Mental Health & Well-Being Program—a holistic, research-backed initiative designed to help organizations across India build mentally resilient workplaces.

Recent (2023) research by the McKinsey Health Institute found high levels of reported burnout symptoms, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and distress among Indian employees. Nearly six in ten reported symptoms of burnout, and 51% reported they are working under a lot of pressure at work—highlighting the urgent need for focused support.

Dr. Shyam Bhat, Chairperson, The Live Love Laugh Foundation, said: “Corporate India must move beyond offering Employee Assistance Programs as a one-size-fits-all solution. Rather than relying on ad-hoc measures and annual engagement surveys, we need a systemic, data-driven approach that addresses the root causes of workplace mental health challenges. By focusing on awareness, reducing stigma, and using evidence-based insights, organizations can design meaningful interventions that truly shift outcomes.”

In Sep 2022, Deloitte estimated that poor employee mental health cost Indian businesses INR 110,000 crore (~US$14 billion) annually.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Trustee, The Live Love Laugh Foundation, and Chairperson, Biocon Group, said “Mental health is an integral part of overall well-being, and organizations must recognize its impact on productivity, creativity, and resilience. A stressed and disengaged workforce hampers innovation and efficiency, ultimately affecting business outcomes and the broader economy. We must foster a culture of empathy, create an environment that supports psychological safety, encourages open dialogue, and provides access to mental health resources. Investing in mental well-being is not just the right thing to do—it’s a smart business strategy that strengthens both the enterprise and the economy.”

“For a decade, LiveLoveLaugh has championed mental health across diverse communities. We now believe it is equally important to focus on workplace mental health, with a structured program that helps leaders, managers, and employees to make mental well-being central to their culture. With this program, LLL aims to help companies track and improve their mental health metrics year after year. Over time, insights gathered across organizations will contribute to broader policy-level conversations, enabling us to advocate for systemic change,” said Anisha Padukone, CEO, The LiveLoveLaugh Foundation.

LLL’s program was piloted with a range of corporate partners and shaped by research, including group discussions with HR leaders and insights from each pilot. These revealed a growing recognition of mental health as a business priority. Emerging organizational practices include leadership support, emotional check-ins, awareness efforts, targeted support for different employee segments, and leaders increasingly open to sharing their challenges to build trust.

Despite these promising efforts, many companies still rely on scattered, short-term efforts that lack structure and consistency. To close this gap, LLL designed an evidence-based program that translates research and real-world insights into actionable strategies for workplace well-being.

A key feature is the Employee Mental Health and Well-being Assessment, developed in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute, which helps companies understand employee needs and plan customized support.

Jacqueline Brassey, Director of Research Science and Co-Director of Healthy Workforces at the McKinsey Health Institute, said: “Employers have a huge opportunity – and responsibility – to understand and address the different factors driving holistic employee well-being, as well as burnout symptoms, in their workforce. We are proud to collaborate with LiveLoveLaugh to help companies take the first step toward a workplace culture where mental well-being is prioritized, stigma is reduced, and people are empowered to thrive.”

Key Pillars of the Program:

● Psychometrically Validated Assessment: Equips organizations with anonymous, data-driven insights into employee mental health and well-being across key dimensions, benchmarking their scores against Indian and global firms from the broader McKinsey Health Institute research.
● Curated Company Report & Actionable Insights: Each company receives a customized report based on the assessment, with restricted access. The report highlights themes such as leadership commitment, workload sustainability, stigma, and signs of burnout, anxiety, depression, and distress. LLL discusses the reports with the leadership team and helps translate data into clear, actionable priorities.
● Strategic Roadmap for Change: Beyond the assessment, LiveLoveLaugh provides companies with a tailored roadmap with practical, organization-specific recommendations. These include targeted interventions for individuals, teams, managers, and leaders, while embedding well-being into daily operations and building systems that support ongoing psychological safety.
● Enhancing Utilization of Existing Mental Wellbeing Initiatives: By increasing awareness and engagement, the program he
lps organizations boost the usage of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and other mental well-being initiatives.
● Continuous Improvement & Measurable Impact: By championing annual participation and year-on-year tracking through the assessment, the program integrates mental health into core performance and engagement metrics. Over time, aggregated data across companies reveals industry-wide trends—that will help shape policy, drive systemic change, and sustain a thriving culture of care.