NEERAJ KOCHHAR INITIATES EMPLOYEE’S MEDITATION PROGRAM

According to research, more than 92% of the workers suffer mental burnouts from stress linked to their working place.The recent Covid-19 situation has contributed to an increase in mental issues, especially amongst the corporate employees. Many thriving companies are using mediation as a tool to empower a community of healthy and happy employees. One such company taking initiative in this direction is Viraj Profiles Limited, the largest Indian manufacturer and exporter of stainless steel long products. The organisation wholeheartedly invests in the development of human capital to utilise the untapped potential and to create opportunities.The company has set up meditation centers across all its office locations in India to improve the mental well-being of its employees.Neeraj Kochhar, Chairman & Managing Director, Viraj Profiles Ltd, who himself has been regularly practicing Yoga and meditation had given an insightful thought before implementing the company’s first wellness program in April 2020 for his employees to cope with the stress. He believes that meditation has many in-office health benefits at mental and also at the physical level.The company organised its first live webinar on 4 May 2020 with the renowned Brahma Kumari Sister Shivani for its employees, partners and suppliers, etc. The program was much appreciated by all the participants and from that day onwards there was no looking back. Since then, Kochhar has made sure to organise regular motivational sessions for his employees. The program has continued to help employees as well as their partners to live a healthier and more active lives. The company, in association with Brahma Kumaris, has organised more than 450 motivational and meditation sessions for its employees in last one and half year covering around 9,000 employees across all levels.The benefits of conducting such sessions for the employees was soon evident with the increased positivity and productivity amongst the employees. Going a step further, the company launched another weekly interactive session called Good Morning Viraj.Talking about the programme, Kochhar said “The program is named as “Good Morning Viraj” and is organised every Saturday morning with the participation of each and every employee in the office and plant location. We also invite a guest speaker from Brahma Kumari to share their views and enlightening perspective to cope up with stress, especially in the current times. In past, we have invited Sister Shivani, BK Yogini Behn, Suresh Oberoi and several other prominent speakers.” Kochhar further adds, “At our Boisar plant, you’ll find a dedicated Meditation Centre with the capacity of more than 150 people and our employees are free to use that facility at all times. You will also find a separate meditation room at our Head Office as well as all other offices. We consider our employees as one of the most valuable assets as they help us scale greater heights. We invest time and resources to ensure that their overall growth and mental well-being is emphasised upon”.He further added, “We offer free consultation and personalised mental guidance to everybody in and outside the office. Initially, the employees felt odd about the meditation program but currently, the session is witnessing regular attendance and encouraging participation from the employees. Health is the focus area for every individual but most people ignore their mental well-being. I always encourage my employees to take care of their physical health, mental stability and follow an active routine”.Kochhar was recently honoured with Golden Achievement Award by Brahma Kumaris during their annual programme at their Head Quarters in Mount Abu. The programme was attended by more than 300 members of Brahma Kumaris and was streamed live all across the globe. Kochhar has been honoured for his dedication and commitment towards bringing in a positive change in society and amongst his Viraj family of more than 9,000 employees.Viraj Profiles Ltd, as a company, has taken responsibility for supporting employees’ emotional stability. Meditation has the power to reduce stress, reduce blood pressure while easing the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Thus, emotional intelligence has garnered considerable attention in the workplace because of its positive association with mental and physical health and its connection to leadership capacity and performance.

We consider our employees as one of the most valuable assets as they help us scale greater heights. We invest time and resources to ensure that their overall growth and mental well-being is emphasised upon.