The Employee Wellbeing @ 360° Workshop, organised by The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Williamson Magor Hall on September 12, brought together business leaders, wellness experts and educators to highlight how holistic well-being has become central to the modern workplace. From a dance performance to panel debates and a fireside chat on Everest, the day-long programme stressed that wellness is no longer a perk but a workplace currency.
The event was conceptualised by Sujoy Banerjee, chairperson of the Chamber’s Wellness & Communities Committee, and mentor Ratna Sinha. In his welcome address, Banerjee described well-being as a “strategic advantage,” while Sinha urged organisations to look at wholeness as a cultural shift.
The opening featured Living Life 360°, a performance by Tagore Foundation School students trained under Exide Industries’ CSR initiative. That set the stage for keynote speaker Zahid Gangjee, who outlined the evolution of wellness from statutory fitness checks to a business imperative. “It’s no longer about just fit employees,” he said. “It’s about engaged, happy employees whose well-being is inseparable from organisational success.”
A panel on the seven dimensions of wellness, moderated by Sinha, brought diverse perspectives.
Chandra Shekhar Mukherji argued that stress without purpose is “a liability.”
Golf coach Indrajit Bhalotia said sport teaches resilience and how to handle failure.
Tata Steel’s Mukesh Agarwal declared that “well-being is non-negotiable,” citing a lifestyle programme that “saved a family.”
Reena Sen of the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy shared a mother’s story that underscored empathy, while Rajiv Roy Choudhury compared wellness to plants needing sun and air.
RP-SG adviser Sabyasachi Bhattacharjee urged boards to embrace empathetic leadership.
In the afternoon, Hemant Gupta, head of Tata Steel’s Sports Academies, sat down with journalist Gautam Bhattacharyya for a fireside chat on climbing Everest. “It’s not just about the summit,” Gupta said. “It’s about listening to yourself, taking pauses, breaking big goals into smaller steps.”
As the Chamber’s director Sukanya Bose wrapped up proceedings, the message resonated: employee well-being is no longer optional, but the foundation of future-ready workplaces.