Adarsh is the wellbeing lead for APAC at BNY responsible for strategy and design of wellbeing initiatives across 13 countries in the region. After missing the opportunity to pursue medicine, Adarsh found ground in public health after Covid -19. He started the wellbeing function for India’s largest NBFC, and expanded the offerings across physical, mental and social wellbeing. A strong believer of data-led design, Adarsh’s design strategy involves three main pillars – inherent health risks, regional trends, and industry standards. His expertise lies in designing programs that are built for impact with measurable performance indicators.
We are delighted that Adarsh will be speaking in Bengaluru as part of our Wellbeing at Work Summit Asia this April. We caught up with him to see how he’s feeling in the runup to the event.
Hi Adarsh we are thrilled that you will be joining us at the Wellbeing at Work Summit Asia in April. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
I’m doing well and really looking forward to it. It’s a great opportunity to share the space with experts in the field, learn from their experiences, and hear different perspectives from the audience as well. There aren’t many platforms dedicated to wellbeing, so I truly appreciate Wellbeing at Work for bringing people together, creating space for these important conversations, and encouraging knowledge sharing.
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing and mental health?
I believe it all begins with awareness, and that’s something I’ll be speaking about in my presentation. The need for mental health support — and wellbeing in every form — has never been more urgent. But real change begins when people recognize that seeking help is not a weakness; it is a step toward strength, healing, and growth. Wellbeing services can create meaningful impact, but that impact comes to life only when people feel empowered and willing to reach out, engage, and take that first step.
What strategies have you seen developing over the past 6 months, both internally and externally, that are moving the dial on wellbeing in the workplace?
Over the last 6–12 months, organizations have become increasingly focused on impact and ROI. The question many are asking is: How does a wellbeing program truly change people’s lives? As a result, employers are becoming more intentional about designing programs that address specific wellbeing challenges rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. But meaningful impact can only be achieved when there is enough clinical data to highlight trends and reveal what people genuinely need. And those insights only emerge when there is strong engagement and meaningful utilization of the programs themselves.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
People are at the core of any organization—you cannot sustain success without them. To use a simple analogy, think of an organization as a car and its people as the engine. For the car to run efficiently, the engine must remain in good shape and health. And what keeps an engine performing well? Good quality fuel and engine oil. In the same way, I see wellbeing programs as that fuel and engine oil for an organization. Strong wellbeing programs help employees feel a sense of belonging, stay energized, and remain motivated to perform at their best.
What impact is AI having in your organisation and how are you managing that?
The first thing I want to call out is that the impact of AI is positive. So often, we are surrounded by messages that portray AI as a threat to people. But I believe AI is not here to diminish human potential—it is here to amplify it. It can unlock efficiency, elevate the quality of our work, and create new opportunities for connection, integration, and growth.
At the same time, we recognize that this is a profound shift for organizations, and most importantly, for people. Change of this scale can feel challenging, but it also creates space for resilience, learning, and transformation. That is why Wellbeing at BNY is playing an important role in helping our people navigate this journey—building resilience, enabling open conversations around change, and empowering managers with the training and support they need to lead with confidence, empathy, and purpose
Other than AI, are there any challenges that you are seeing for the first time and how are you addressing them?
Creating a sustainable talent force is a business imperative in today’s rapidly evolving environment. As markets, technologies, and ways of working continue to shift, an organization’s ability to adapt is directly linked to its long-term sustainability and performance. Building that adaptability requires a workforce that is resilient, engaged, and equipped to navigate change effectively. This is where wellbeing plays a strategic role. Beyond supporting employees at an individual level, it enables organizations to strengthen resilience, sustain performance through periods of transformation, and create the conditions for talent to grow and thrive over time.
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
Integration is the future of wellbeing. The time for addressing wellbeing through isolated pillars has passed. Increasingly, evidence shows that dimensions of wellbeing are deeply interconnected, and a more integrated approach is essential for meaningful and sustainable impact. Over the past six years, I have been closely researching the relationship between physical and mental health, and the connection between the two is both significant and well supported. In many cases, physical health risks and conditions are closely linked with mental and emotional wellbeing, reinforcing the need for organizations to move beyond siloed interventions and adopt a more holistic wellbeing strategy.
Do you feel that investment in employee wellbeing in the region is increasing or decreasing and is that a direct reflection on HR leaders’ increasing ability to demonstrate effective returns of their strategies to leadership?
As I mentioned earlier, investment in this area continues to grow year over year. What has now become critical for HR leaders is the ability to clearly demonstrate the returns from wellbeing programs. The future lies in delivering these programs more strategically and measuring their impact more effectively. While demonstrating true ROI in the fullest sense is likely still 3–5 years away, some organizations are already making meaningful progress toward that goal. We are proud to be one of them.
Adarsh is speaking in Bengaluru as part of our Wellbeing at Work Summit Asia 2026 which takes place in Hong Kong, Singapore and Bengaluru this April. Click the links below to find out more and book your tickets:
April 23 2026 – Hong Kong. Click here to find out more and book your tickets
April 28 & 29 2026 – Singapore. Click here to find out more and book your tickets
April 30 2026 – Bengaluru. Click here to find out more and book your tickets
