India’s First Workplace Happiness Awards To Recognise Organisations Focused On Employee Happiness

India’s workplace culture conversation is set to gain a new platform with the launch of the Happiest Places To Work Awards, described as the country’s first awards focused only on workplace happiness. The inaugural event is scheduled to take place in Mumbai towards the end of July and is expected to bring together senior leaders from India’s corporate sector. At a time when workplace culture and employee experience are gaining importance, the initiative aims to recognise organisations that build positive work culture and sustain meaningful work environments.

Awards To Highlight Positive Work Culture

The newly launched awards platform has been created to recognise organisations that take workplace happiness seriously. The focus remains on the everyday employee experience and its link to business outcomes.

The organisers aim to highlight companies that go beyond written policies and focus on how employees feel at work each day.

The awards seek to recognise organisations that sustain meaningful work environments.

Senior Jury To Lead The Assessment

The awards will be chaired by Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Group. Supporting the process is a jury made up of senior business and human resources leaders from diverse sectors and roles.

Jury Member	Role / Organisation
Harsh Goenka	Chairman, RPG Group
Achal Khanna	CEO, SHRM, APAC & MENA
Harit Nagpal	MD & CEO, Tata Play
Pavitra Singh	CHRO & VP, PepsiCo India & South Asia
Dr. Atul Hegde	Founder & Chairman, YAAP Digital
Dr. Prajjal Saha	Founder & Editor-in-Chief, HR Katha
Nitu Bhushan	Director Human Resources, South Asia, Nestlé
Pushp Kumar Nayar	Executive Director HRD, BPCL
Sunita Cherian	Former Chief Culture Officer & SVP Corporate HR, Wipro

Their involvement is meant to give the awards strong professional backing and rigour across assessment stages.

Structured Process For Participation

The awards are open to organisations of any size and sector. The process includes a structured Happiness Dialogue with employees, followed by a culture audit and final jury review.

The focus is on how employees feel at work each day, beyond policies and formal benefits.

The organisers describe the process as straightforward and designed to give organisations clear insight.

Focus On Everyday Employee Experience

A key feature of the initiative is its emphasis on everyday employee experience.

The organisers plan to host discussions on real culture, going beyond written policies and standard practices.

The event is expected to see participation from CEOs, CHROs and senior business leaders, with recognition covering multiple sectors and categories.

The launch of this dedicated awards platform places the spotlight on workplace happiness, employee experience and meaningful work environments. By focusing entirely on how employees feel at work each day, the initiative aims to recognise organisations across sectors and sizes.