Yoga, meditation yet to catch up with India Inc, says survey

Mumbai, Feb 13 (PTI) In an interesting finding, asurvey has said that yoga, Art of Living techniques andmeditation - the most popular preventive forms of healthcare -are yet to attract corporate India for blending them in theircomprehensive employee healthcare benefit strategies.

This lack of attraction is especially so among the top500 blue-chip companies in India, the survey by TowersWatson, ''Group Healthcare: Healthcare Trends 2010'', said.

"This is in stark contradiction to the fact that allthe three forms of wellness have not only originated in India,but are also much talked-about therapies figuring in theirrespective annual reports as a part of employee welfarestrategies," it said.

The survey, conducted from July to September 2010across various industries, found that reimbursement for yoga,Art of Living and meditation is provided only by firms whoserevenue lies in the range of Rs 300-Rs 400 crore.

However, a majority of the top 500 companies doprovide, as a part of employee well-being and wellnessprogrammes, other benefits like reimbursement for vaccinationcost, gym membership and annual medical check-up.

The Towers Watson survey, interestingly, observed aslow but gradual shift from protective to preventive healthmeasures with many employers now offering wellness-basedhealth programmes to their employees.

"The shift will happen once employers drop their onesize fits all'' approach and start providing innovative andmore segmented health benefits to improve the perceived valueof their current offerings," the survey said. .