At a time when employee experience is increasingly shaping business outcomes, Happiest Places to Work has launched the Happiest Places To Work Awards, positioning it as India’s first recognition platform focused exclusively on workplace happiness.
The inaugural ceremony, scheduled for late July in Mumbai, is expected to see participation from CEOs, CHROs and senior business leaders across sectors.
The move reflects a broader shift underway in corporate India. Companies are beginning to realise that workplace culture is not defined by policies or benefits alone, but by how employees experience work every day.
The awards will be chaired by Harsh Goenka, chairman, RPG Group.
“Workplace happiness is becoming central to how organisations grow and perform. Platforms like these help bring that conversation to the forefront,” he said.
The jury brings together a cross-section of business and HR leaders, including Achal Khanna (CEO, SHRM APAC & MENA), Harit Nagpal (MD & CEO, Tata Play), Pavitra Singh (CHRO, PepsiCo India & South Asia), Atul Hegde (founder and chairman, YAAP Digital), Prajjal Saha (founder and editor-in-chief, HR Katha), Nitu Bhushan (Director HR, Nestlé South Asia), Pushp Kumar Nayar (Executive Director HRD, BPCL) and Sunita Cherian (formerly Chief Culture Officer, Wipro).
For Raj Nayak, founder of Happiest Places to Work, the gap lies in how organisations interpret employee experience.
“Organisations often overlook the everyday employee experience. These awards recognise companies that get it right consistently, where how people feel at work truly matters,” he said.
Beyond surface-level assessments
The organisers say the evaluation goes beyond policy checklists and self-reported data. The process is built around a structured “Happiness Dialogue”, followed by a culture audit and a final jury review.
The programme is open to organisations of all sizes and sectors. Entries are currently open, with the process designed to give companies a clearer picture of how their employees actually perceive the workplace.
The awards will recognise organisations across multiple sectors and categories, while also creating a platform for deeper conversations on workplace culture.
As the competition for talent intensifies, the focus is steadily shifting from what companies offer on paper to what employees experience in practice. Initiatives like these suggest that workplace happiness is no longer a soft aspiration, but an increasingly measurable business priority.
