Kolkata witnessed a powerful Dialogue on the future of mental wellness at ANNANTAA MINDSPACE 2026

 

Reporter Indrajit Aich : The future of mental wellness at work and in life took centre stage as ANNANTAA MINDSPACE 2026: A Conclave of Leadership, Innovation & Wellbeing, an initiative by Annantaa – Power of the Mind, brought together an eminent gathering of business leaders, industry experts and mental health professionals for a day of thought-provoking discussions. The conclave examined how the future of organisations would depend not only on innovation and performance but also on emotionally intelligent leadership, resilient workplace cultures and the wellbeing of their people.

The gathering was graced by Mr. Debashis Sen, IAS (Retd.), Former HIDCO Chairman, along with an illustrious line-up of distinguished speakers including Abhijan Nandy, Senior Vice President, Dentsu India; Santanu Mukherjee, Director, Indus Net Technologies (INT); Sonali Bhattacharya, Vice President, LTM; Mr. K. Sunil Kumar, General Manager – Corporate Communications & PR, JIS Group; Anirban Gupta, Managing Director, Colliers International; and Pijush Ranjan Ghosh, Senior Project Manager, IBM. They were joined by Mr. Yuvraj Kapadia, Founder and Director, EKAA Foundation, who brought a unique perspective on purpose-driven leadership and social impact.

The conclave featured engaging panel discussions, insightful keynote sessions and interactive conversations that explored the evolving future of mental wellness at work and in life. Bringing together corporate leaders and mental health professionals on a common platform, the discussions seamlessly blended real-world business experiences with expert psychological perspectives, highlighting the growing need for empathetic leadership, emotionally intelligent workplaces and resilient organisational cultures. Another engaging session titled "Bridging the Worlds of Academia and Mental Wellness," featuring Prof. Shabina Omar and Mr. Yuvraj Kapadia, explored how educational institutions can foster emotionally resilient students by integrating mental wellbeing into learning environments and nurturing supportive academic ecosystems. Speakers emphasised that sustainable success was no longer defined by business performance alone, but also by the wellbeing, trust and resilience of people.

The conversations at ANNANTAA MINDSPACE 2026 reflected a challenge that organisations across the world had increasingly begun to recognise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 15% of working-age adults were living with a mental disorder, while depression and anxiety alone had led to the loss of around 12 billion working days every year. These figures highlighted why mental wellbeing had become far more than just an employee welfare initiative. Throughout the conclave, speakers emphasised that creating mentally healthy workplaces was no longer optional—it had become essential for building stronger leaders, resilient teams and organisations that could thrive in the future.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Yuvraj Kapadia, Founder and Director, EKAA Foundation, said, "Mental wellness is no longer a personal concern alone; it has become a shared responsibility. As workplaces continue to evolve, organisations must create environments where people feel supported, heard and empowered. When we invest in mental wellbeing, we don't just build healthier individuals—we build stronger teams, better leaders and a more sustainable future." Sharing her vision, Ms. Madhuri Sarda, Psychologist & Founder, Annantaa, said, "Mental wellness is the foundation of how we live, work and lead. Through ANNANTAA MINDSPACE 2026, we wanted to inspire conversations that encourage workplaces to value people as much as performance." Ms. Vidhi Bansal, Co-Founder & Psychotherapist, Annantaa, added, "Mental wellness begins with creating workplaces where people feel safe, supported and heard. When people thrive, organisations thrive too."

With thought-provoking discussions, diverse perspectives and meaningful exchanges, ANNANTAA MINDSPACE 2026 concluded by reinforcing a simple yet powerful idea—that the future of work and life would depend as much on mental wellbeing as on innovation and leadership. The conclave left participants inspired to translate conversations into action and foster cultures where people and organisations could grow together.