Mental Health in Indian Corporates Is Still a Checkbox

In Indian corporates, mental health is sold like it used to be in the US 25 years ago.

Awareness posters in the cafeteria. One annual workshop on "stress management." A helpline number buried somewhere in the HR portal that nobody calls because everyone will know.

It's not support. It's a actually checkbox.

I've been in this industry for 10 years and the pattern is frustratingly consistent. Companies want to say they're doing something about mental health. But in most cases they don't actually want to do something about mental health.

Because real mental health support is messy. It requires budget. It requires commitment. It requires someone to stand up and say "this matters" even when the ROI isn't obvious in the next quarter.

And that takes real intent to solve...

However following what everyone else is doing is easy & safe. And ofcourse nobody gets fired for buying the same EAP that 500 other companies bought...