Kolkata, July 25, 2026: Kolkata witnessed an inspiring exchange of ideas on the future of mental wellness as ANNANTAA MINDSPACE 2026: A Conclave of Leadership, Innovation & Wellbeing, organised by Annantaa – Power of the Mind, brought together leading corporate executives, mental health professionals, academicians and industry experts for a day of insightful discussions on creating healthier, more resilient workplaces.
The conclave focused on the growing importance of emotionally intelligent leadership, resilient organisational cultures and employee wellbeing, highlighting that sustainable business success is no longer measured solely by financial performance but also by the wellbeing and engagement of people.
The event was graced by Debashis Sen, IAS (Retd.), Former Chairman of HIDCO, along with an eminent panel of speakers including Abhijan Nandy, Senior Vice President, Dentsu India; Santanu Mukherjee, Director, Indus Net Technologies (INT); Sonali Bhattacharya, Vice President, LTM; K. Sunil Kumar, General Manager – Corporate Communications & PR, JIS Group; Anirban Gupta, Managing Director, Colliers International; Pijush Ranjan Ghosh, Senior Project Manager, IBM; and Yuvraj Kapadia, Founder and Director of EKAA Foundation, who shared valuable insights on purpose-driven leadership and social impact.
Through keynote addresses, engaging panel discussions and interactive sessions, the conclave explored the changing landscape of workplace mental wellness. Experts stressed the urgent need for organisations to foster empathy, emotional intelligence and psychological safety while building future-ready teams.
A special session titled “Bridging the Worlds of Academia and Mental Wellness”, featuring Prof. Shabina Omar and Yuvraj Kapadia, examined how educational institutions can nurture emotionally resilient students by integrating mental wellbeing into learning environments and promoting supportive academic ecosystems.
Speakers noted that the global workplace is facing an unprecedented mental health challenge. Citing World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, they highlighted that nearly 15% of working-age adults are living with mental disorders, while depression and anxiety account for the loss of nearly 12 billion working days annually, reinforcing the need for organisations to prioritise mental wellbeing as a strategic business imperative.
Addressing the conclave, Yuvraj Kapadia, Founder and Director, EKAA Foundation, said, “Mental wellness is no longer a personal concern alone; it has become a shared responsibility. Organisations must create environments where people feel supported, heard and empowered. Investing in mental wellbeing means building stronger teams, better leaders and a more sustainable future.”
Madhuri Sarda, Psychologist and Founder of Annantaa, emphasised that mental wellness forms the foundation of effective leadership and meaningful work, while Vidhi Bansal, Co-Founder and Psychotherapist at Annantaa, underlined the importance of creating psychologically safe workplaces where individuals can thrive.
The conclave concluded with a strong message that the future of work will be shaped not only by innovation and technology but also by compassion, resilience and mental wellbeing. Participants left inspired to transform conversations into meaningful action, fostering workplaces where both people and organisations can flourish together.
