In 2016, Thrive Global launched in the United States with the mission of changing the way we live and work by ending the stress and burnout epidemic. As the science shows, the pervasive belief that burnout is simply the price we have to pay for success is a delusion.
We know, instead, that when we prioritise our well-being, our decision-making, creativity and productivity all improve dramatically.
So Thrive Global offers sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance well-being, performance, and purpose, and create a healthier relationship with technology.
And I’m thrilled to announce that we’re now launching our Thrive India media platform! Vodafone and AirBnB have joined us as launch partners.
No country is immune from the global epidemic of stress and burnout—and that includes India, where fatigue ranks among the top health concerns among adults. And as with the rest of the world, much of this is being driven by the accelerating pace of our lives set by technology.
The number of people being treated for mobile phone addiction has spiked between 75 and 100 per cent in the last year alone, mostly among young people in the age group of 13-24. And this has far-reaching consequences on our physical and mental health.
A recent study showed that 65 per cent of Indians between 22-25 years show signs of depression. The President has called the spread of mental health problems in India an epidemic and the Prime Minister dedicated his radio address in March 2017 to highlight this crisis and end the stigma around mental health.
But India also has unique resources to meet these challenges. Its ancient wisdom and spiritual traditions are now at the centre of the global conversation about what it means to live a good life.
That’s what drew me to India decades ago, and why India was chosen to be the first country for Thrive Global’s expansion. I went to study comparative religion at Visva-Bharati University, outside of Calcutta, when I was 17 and have been in love with the country ever since.
India faces many challenges with stress and burnout. But it also has many of its own solutions, from yoga to meditation, which have been validated by modern science and form the basis for many of Thrive Global’s tools and strategies.
I’m convinced that, more than any other place on earth, India has the answers to what I see as the biggest question of our time: how we work and live in an age when change is exponentially faster and technology has permeated every aspect of our lives. I believe that India can take the lead in answering this question, not only for Indians but also for the rest of the world.
And that’s what makes today so exciting. The Thrive India media platform will allow Indians to tell their own stories and add their unique voice to this global conversation. We’ll feature articles, videos, podcasts from business leaders, scientists, athletes, Bollywood celebrities and new role models of success, who will share their challenges, advice, commentary, and their personal stories of how they thrive.
You’ll be able to read Bollywood’s ‘every man’ actor Ayushmann Khurrana share why he thinks success is a lousy teacher and finds a friend in failure and what spiritual mentor BK Shivani means when she advises us to “travel light”. There’s also the story of chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand and how his idea of fatalism helps him weather inner storms. Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar shares his views on forgiveness. Devdutt Pattanaik explains how Indian mythology is relevant in all workplaces today, and students and doctors write about their experience with burnout. And there will be so much more to come.
This embrace of ancient India must be led by the future of India, which is why I am particularly excited to hear from India’s millennial generation—the ones most impacted by technology. I want to hear from them about how we can be better stewards of our humanity at a time when artificial intelligence, machine learning and algorithms will be increasingly dominating our future.
After all, it’s millennials that will be implementing these solutions and designing the future, and I’m curious to know what’s on their minds.
And we want to hear from you. What are your challenges? How do you manage your relationship with technology? How do you unplug and recharge? How do you stay productive? How do you find purpose and meaning and lead a thriving life in our modern world? Let us hear from you and your voice on what will be the Indian hub for the conversation about well-being, how we live, and how we work.
I look forward to deepening that conversation with you. Keep Thriving India!