Employee wellness has rapidly evolved from being a “good-to-have” perk to a boardroom-level business priority. In this exclusive interview with People Matters, Rohit Chohan, Co-Founder & CEO of Truworth Wellness, shares his perspective on why wellness must move from access-driven initiatives to outcome-led strategies. From addressing the participation gap in corporate programs to building data-driven ROI cases for finance leaders, he outlines how organisations can reimagine wellness as a true lever for productivity, resilience, and business growth.
With nearly two decades of experience in the wellness industry, Rohit has been at the forefront of shaping India’s corporate health landscape. Under his leadership, Truworth has partnered with hundreds of organisations to embed holistic, preventive, and measurable well-being solutions into workplace culture, making wellness not just an employee initiative but a business strategy.
Q. Employee wellness has moved from a fringe benefit to a boardroom priority. What’s the single biggest driver behind this strategic shift, and how are the expectations of business leaders changing when it comes to wellness initiatives?
The single biggest driver behind employee wellness moving from a fringe benefit to a boardroom priority is the clear and proven link between well-being and business outcomes. In conversations with CXOs, the consensus is clear: healthier, happier employees deliver better results. With stress, burnout, and lifestyle-related illnesses on the rise, many leaders now recognise that wellness is not just about employee care, it is about business continuity, growth, and financial performance. That said, the real challenge lies in the fact that not all CXOs are fully convinced. Moving leadership mindsets beyond transactional benefits toward holistic, outcome-driven wellness programs remains an ongoing journey.
This shift is also changing what leaders expect from wellness programs. A list of perks is no longer enough. Instead, they want authentic, inclusive, and measurable programs that address mental, physical, social, and financial health in an integrated way. They are asking for data-backed outcomes, visible leadership commitment, and for wellness to be embedded in the culture rather than offered on the side.
At Truworth Wellness, our focus has been on helping organizations make that shift from access to outcomes. By combining technology, data, and care navigation, we design wellness journeys that don’t stop at awareness but continue through sustained engagement, risk reduction, and measurable impact. This is how wellness becomes a strategic lever which improves productivity, reduces absenteeism, and builds resilient workforces.
Despite massive investments, most corporate wellness programs achieve less than 20% sustained participation. What do you identify as the core disconnect between these offerings and actual employee needs and how might Thrive Connect 2025 focus on thriving outcomes reimagine that connection?
Despite massive investments, most corporate wellness programs struggle to sustain even 20% participation. The real disconnect is that many programs don’t reflect employees’ actual needs. Too often, they are one-size-fits-all, overly complex, or worse, perceived as superficial “wellbeing washing.” They don’t address the real challenges employees face, mental health, workload stress, and personal circumstances. And when leaders aren't involved or programs rely too heavily on cash rewards, participation quickly drops off.
With Thrive Connect 2025, our flagship event at Truworth Wellness, we are reimagining this connection. This year the call is: stop counting logins, start counting outcomes. The focus is not on activities for the sake of it, but on outcomes that truly matter. By bringing together HR leaders, wellness experts, and business heads, Thrive Connect aims to embed well-being into business strategy and culture. The vision is to champion wellness programs that are authentic, inclusive, and data-driven, so that employees feel genuinely supported, and organizations see measurable impact in engagement, productivity, and resilience.
The ROI of wellness is a critical conversation, especially with finance leaders. How can HR leaders build a compelling, data-driven business case that links wellness investments directly to metrics like productivity, absenteeism, talent retention, and reduced healthcare costs?
Whenever I sit down with finance leaders, the first question is: show me the numbers. HR can win that conversation by proving that wellness cuts sick days, lowers claims, boosts retention, and keeps people engaged. It’s not just about saving costs, it’s about building resilient teams that can deliver consistently, even under pressure.
Finance leaders are always looking for proof, and the data is compelling. One organisation we worked with adopted a holistic wellness strategy, combining mental health support, preventive screenings, and digital-first engagement. Within three years, they reduced sick leave by 28%, cut healthcare costs by 26%, and saw an 11% increase in revenue per employee. For every INR 1 invested, they saved INR 289 in healthcare costs and INR 241 through reduced absenteeism.
Having been associated with the wellness industry for close to two decades, I’ve seen this pattern repeat across sectors: when well-being is treated as a strategic lever, not a fringe benefit, organisations unlock measurable business impact. The role of companies like ours is to provide HR leaders with the data, tools, and care pathways that give them the confidence to make this case, and to shift the conversation from access to thriving outcomes.
With workforce data showing early chronic conditions and widespread sleep deprivation, what’s the most overlooked employee health risk today, and what’s the first step organisations should take to address it?
The most overlooked employee health risk today is psychological safety and mental health. As reports indicate, 80% of India's workforce has faced mental health issues, and Deloitte estimates this challenge costs Indian companies INR 1.16 lakh crore a year. Stress, burnout, and poor sleep don’t just affect mood; they impair judgment, reduce creativity, and heighten risks of chronic illnesses. Left unaddressed, these hidden factors quietly drain productivity and resilience, yet many organisations continue to underestimate their true impact.
The first step is to treat mental health as seriously as physical safety. This begins with equipping leaders to recognise and respond to mental health challenges, creating stigma-free communication channels, and embedding mental wellness into broader workplace safety strategies. Regular assessments of burnout and psychological safety should be part of risk management, empowering employees to speak up without fear.
In our work at Truworth Wellness, we’ve seen how organisations that prioritise psychological safety experience deeper engagement and sustained participation in wellness programs, proving that when employees feel safe, support translates into thriving outcomes.
Looking toward the future of work, how will technology like AI and data analytics shift wellness from a reactive model to a predictive and personalized one, helping to prevent health issues before they arise?
Looking toward the future of work, technology like AI and data analytics will fundamentally shift wellness from a reactive model to a predictive and personalised one. Employees now expect the same level of personalisation from their employer as they do from consumer services; according to McKinsey’s Next in Personalisation 2021 Report, 71% of consumers expect tailored interactions. By analysing data from wearables, medical records, and real-time inputs, AI can flag risks early and design interventions, whether it’s exercise plans, nutrition advice, or timely mental health support. In many ways, it’s like having a coach in your pocket, nudging you before small problems spiral into bigger ones.
The real power lies in continuous learning and adaptation. AI-driven platforms provide real-time insights, nudges, and round-the-clock support that keep employees engaged while ensuring wellness programs evolve with their needs. This moves us away from one-size-fits-all activities toward meaningful outcomes, boosting productivity, preventing burnout, and building long-term resilience.
In our experience working with organisations across industries, we’ve seen how predictive, AI-driven wellness models increase participation and deliver measurable outcomes. That’s why at Truworth Wellness, we’ve focused on turning access into thriving outcomes through guided, data-led journeys.
Considering Truworth Wellness is one of the leading corporate wellness companies in India, what is your five-year vision for the industry? What fundamental shift is needed for organisations to make employee well-being a true engine for business growth?
Over the next five years, I see the corporate wellness industry in India making the leap from perk (transactional benefit) to performance strategy (i.e. transformational, integrated business strategy). At Truworth Wellness, our vision is to create a seamless health benefits platform that caters to diverse employee needs, fosters long-term behaviour change, and delivers measurable outcomes. This means shifting wellness from “activities and access” to deeply personalised, tech-enabled, and preventive care solutions that truly improve health, engagement, and retention.
The fundamental shift organisations must make is moving away from episodic, reactive wellness programs to sustained, data-driven ecosystems. Employee well-being needs to be embedded as a strategic priority, with leadership accountability and integration of preventive care, mental health, and psychological safety into the workplace culture. Leveraging AI and analytics will allow companies to personalise interventions, track impact, and directly link wellness investments to business outcomes like productivity, retention, and cost savings.
As part of this vision, we are also focused on the GCC market. With over 1,600 GCCs already in India, they are setting new benchmarks for employee experience and global best practices. Entering this space allows us to not only scale impact but also bring more standardisation, innovation, and measurable accountability to wellness at a global level.
In the long run, companies that win will be those that see wellness as a growth strategy, strengthening culture, attracting talent, and building resilient businesses for the future of work.