Sweat equity! Corporate India invests in workplace sports
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
New Delhi: India Inc is increasingly game for organising sports activities at workplaces to infuse a greater sense of bonding among employees while also bridging the gulf between the leadership and the workforce. Many companies such as PepsiCo, Myntra , RPG Raychem and Harrisons Malayalam are not only providing in-house facilities for traditionally popular sports but some among these are also embracing newer ones like pickleball , said industry executives.Myntra, for example, launched two in-house pickleball courts earlier this year. 'With this, we have added a fun, social sport to our 'Along with other facilities like tennis, a gym, arcade games across floors and more, we extended access to a cricket practice net and ground, along with an indoor badminton court near our office.'Siddhant Jatia, the founder of Picklebay, which provides services to help set up pickleball courts, said that in just eight weeks the company's pipeline grew from 15 early-stage leads to more than 50 large enterprises, including multinationals. He said one of the leading airlines and a professional services company were among the first companies in India to take to the game. 'We anticipate onboarding at least 5,000 employees across 10 corporates through masterclasses and internal leagues within the first 60-90 days of deployment.' Swiggy has, earlier this year, partnered with cricketer Rishabh Pant to co-own Mumbai Pickle Power ahead of the inaugural season of the World Pickleball League. Other companies, including PepsiCo, are creating spaces within the office for football, table tennis, pool, carrom, chess and mini-golf.'Here, teams can bond beyond work,' said Pavitra Singh, PepsiCo CHRO for India and South Asia. The company has just concluded its annual sports week, or the PepsiCo India League. 'Over the last two years, our leaders have amplified the impact of the League,' Singh said. RPG Group is busy preparing for its annual sports day. Within the group, Raychem RPG organises sports activities on a quarterly basis, while Harrisons Malayalam will have a sports month at the end of this year.'Well-being remains central to our 'Hello Happiness' philosophy, which embraces holistic health and a balanced life. We encourage our people to stay active, and each of our group companies would bring together its people through forms of sports and games from time to time,' said Supratik Bhattacharyya, chief talent officer, RPG Group.Office space provider Mindspace Business Parks REIT affirmed that there has been a significant increase in sporting activities among companies in India. 'Sports ranks high on the demand among our corporate clients, especially over the last 12 months or so,' said its managing director and chief executive officer Ramesh Nair. 'This is primarily led by demand from Gen Zs in the workforce for indoor and outdoor games at workplaces.'The company is engaged in conducting several championships across its business parks in the country. It introduced pickleball at two of its properties in Mumbai, drawing more than 1,000 employees from 80 companies.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Top designers, DU students to join Delhi govt's upcoming khadi fashion show
The Delhi government's first-of-its-kind handloom fashion show is set to be attended by renowned designers and students from the Capital's top educational institutions. The show, scheduled for August 6, will be attended by bigwigs like Rahul Mishra, Sanjay Garg, Surekha Jain, Rina Dhaka, and Pernia Quereshi, among others. The event will also see over 150 students from top Delhi colleges like Miranda House, Lady Shri Ram College, Hindu College, GTB Khalsa College, Guru Gobind Singh College, and Pearl Academy curating exhibits and walking the ramp in handloom wear. Organised to promote the use of khadi, as well as hand-spun and handwoven fabrics, the event will highlight the roots of traditional Indian textiles. Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the event, named 'Vastra Katha', will be organised by the Delhi Khadi and Village Industries Board (DKVIB). 'We are bringing in long-overdue reforms to make (DKVIB) sustainable by the end of this year and profitable by 2026. The government has already allocated Rs 50 crore for skilling and capacity-building in the handloom sector, and now we are complementing that with platforms like Vastra Katha to create means for livelihood and visibility for artisans,' said Sirsa. The event will feature a 24-stall curated exhibition and a fashion ramp walk with a Vedic civilisation theme. The exhibition will showcase rare, Geographical Indication (GI) tagged textiles, handloom sarees, and fabrics from across India. On how eco-friendly the handloom industry is, Sirsa said, 'The fashion industry is a major contributor to global warming. On the other hand, handloom is eco-friendly, rooted in nature, made without natural products, and also supports rural livelihoods, especially for women. Handloom isn't just heritage, it's climate action with culture.' The Delhi government plans to make the event an annual tradition, he added.
India.com
15 minutes ago
- India.com
Operation Sindoor Aftershocks: Pakistan, Turkey Ink $900M Pact Drone Pact Targeting India
New Delhi: Inside a heavily guarded defense complex in Islamabad, two delegations met behind closed doors. Flags of Pakistan and Turkey stood side by side. No ceremony. No speeches. But the message was loud. A major defense agreement has taken shape between the two nations. One that involves cutting-edge drones, classified surveillance data and a quiet alignment of military strategies. The deal runs deep. Turkey will send Pakistan its combat-tested Bayraktar TB2 drones. Alongside them, the more powerful Akinci drones. Both built for precision, speed and destruction. The deal is worth $900 million. Over 700 explosive drones and advanced spy UAVs will move from Turkish stockpiles to Pakistani airfields. These drones carry heat-sensing payloads and silent strike technology. Turkey has also promised steady intelligence support such as real-time feeds, tracking grids and satellite links. Pakistan will return the favour. Its army will supply modern tank shells, mortar rounds and battlefield ammunition to Turkey. The paperwork remains locked away. Top officials from both sides have called the agreement 'strategic', 'confidential' and 'ongoing'. In recent weeks, Turkey's foreign and defense ministers visited Pakistan. Their meetings included Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal General Asim Munir and heads of Pakistan's drone programmes. Discussions revolved around strengthening ties, increasing weapons exports and syncing military planning. India's name came up more than once. Operation Sindoor, India's covert counter-terror campaign, continues to cast a long shadow across the region. Officials believe the drone deal is one of several moves aimed at countering Indian operations near the western front. Pakistan's leadership thanked Turkey directly. Both Sharif and Munir appreciated what they called 'timely support' from Ankara. Behind the formalities, the tone was clear. This partnership goes beyond trade. It moves into shared surveillance, border readiness and regional control. Turkish companies have been invited to invest in Pakistan's defense industry. Talks are already underway for drone assembly units inside Pakistani territory. Eager to cement its image as a global drone power, Turkey sees South Asia as the next frontier. It has already sold weapons to Bangladesh, Myanmar and other Indian neighbours. The supply of TB2s and Akinci drones marks a shift. These are the same UAVs that earned global attention during Russia-Ukraine battlefield operations. They have flown in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan. Now, Pakistan will host them. The two countries have also agreed to increase intelligence sharing. No details have been made public. But sources say the exchange includes geolocation data and thermal surveillance from disputed zones. The growing alliance between Ankara and Islamabad also touches other regional hotspots, Iran, Gaza and Afghanistan. Meetings held in Islamabad reportedly included discussion of future coordination across these zones. With the ink barely dry on the deal, both governments are now working to fast-track delivery schedules. Pakistan has already allocated airbases for drone testing. Turkish teams are expected to arrive soon for on-ground integration. There were no military parades. No press briefings. But inside South Asia's defense circles, the news is loud. A new axis is taking shape and its eyes are pointed east.
Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tesla Too Late?
Musk's EV is here finally, but starting production in India 10 years ago would have served him better There's a tide in the affairs of men… Brutus says in Julius Caesar. Elon Musk, who's quoted from The Tempest before, might have heard. His Tesla 'took the current' on Tuesday to launch its India operation. The world's largest manufacturer of battery-electric cars – Chinese BYD was a sliver behind in 2024 – now has a showroom in Mumbai, and little more. Reports say six fully built Tesla Model Ys are on the way from Shanghai. On-road prices start around ₹61L, putting the midsize SUV in the luxury segment, where the likes of Mercedes, BMW and Volvo will keep it company. But this segment amounted to only 50,000 units last year, of which 75% were petrol or diesel vehicles. And sales in the first six months of 2025 have been weak. Tesla's fighting for a pie that amounts to 10,000-12,000 units per year, and analysts expect it to sell not more than 200-300 units per month. Which, considering that it sold about 1.8mn cars globally in 2024, is nothing. So, what's Musk's plan really? Some see it as an attempt to gauge the Indian market. As far as brand-building goes, Tesla is too well-known already. Back in 2016, when it was a much smaller company, and Musk's net worth was less than $12bn, Indian tycoons proudly announced they had booked the newly launched Model 3 online. The cars didn't materialise, but fans kept the faith. Musk also maintained India was on his mind: 'Hoping for summer this year (2017)'. Winter arrived, and one man imported a model X on his own – its eight-year battery warranty would be running out now. So, brand strength has never been Tesla's problem. What it needs is a business plan, and 10 years ago Musk had a stronger one. 'Given high local demand, a Gigafactory in India would probably make sense in the long term,' he tweeted in Oct 2015, years before he set up that factory in Shanghai instead. It was a good idea, which, 'taken at the flood' may have led to better fortune for both India and Musk. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
