At India Inc, bosses are the new CEO of fitness

CEO Nithin Kamath sets himself a new goal every quarter — it could be something to do with long-distance running or swimming, the idea is to keep things interesting. “Productivity at work is directly proportional to your quality of ,” he said. “If your body is healthy, your outcome at work will be better.

” Emcure Pharmaceuticals executive director Namita Thapar agreed. “I strongly believe in the link between health and ,” she said. “Yoga has been a gamechanger for me.

The asanas and breathing have made me a kinder and more focused leader. ” Indian Inc. has seen its share of keen runners and even endurance contestants over the years but business leaders are increasingly emerging as advocates of holistic health — both physical and mental — underscoring the significance of wellbeing.

Top executives are sharing health challenges, diet tips, work and sleep routines, fitness goals and actively supporting their teams in such endeavours. Recognising that significantly shapes company culture, morale and productivity, CEOs now play a pivotal role as influencers, leading by example and persuading the workforce. The has played a pivotal role in this shift, prompting the focus on health, health experts said.

vice chairman said he sees direct business benefits from his regular workouts. He’s into weight training, golf on the weekends and intermittent fasting. In the middle of last year, founder and Deepinder Goyal posted before-and-after pictures to show his transformation between 2019 and 2023.

He attributed this to a change in his thinking a few months before the onset of Covid. In 2019, he began putting his health on a par with his professional commitments. Kamath of Zerodha said wellness is critical.

“One of the ways I think of health is that today life expectancy is rising — people live longer,” he said. “So if you retire at 60, you may have another 40 more years ahead of you, and so the quality of life is very important. ” Kamath also plays basketball and football.

“When it comes to work, it’s a grind — a healthy body and mind put you in a better spot,” he said. “At Zerodha, we encourage our employees to focus on health and fitness. ” The pandemic has underscored the vulnerability of leaders to health crises, prompting organisations to reevaluate and enhance health and wellness initiatives.

CEOs are now more inclined to adopt healthier lifestyles, embracing practices such as regular exercise, a balanced diet and stress management to fortify their physical and mental resilience. Pidilite Industries MD Bharat Puri said fitness and health should be embedded in organisational culture. “I walk a lot wherever I can,” he said.

“We have a gym and swimming pool in our office. Then there are coaches and mentors and buddies to help employees as sounding boards. Health is both physical and mental and good health of an individual is integral to good health of an organisation.

” Indian corporations are implementing comprehensive health and wellness programmes tailored specifically for their leadership. Beyond conventional healthcare benefits, companies are incorporating wellness coaching, mental health support and innovative fitness solutions into their executive packages. CEO Sunil D’Souza always carries a pair of running shoes and gym clothes in his travel bag.

“I make sure I hit the gym in the morning even when I am traveling and therefore prefer evening flights so I can get my workout before meetings,” he said. (Catch all the , Events and Updates on . ).