A silent health crisis is brewing within corporate India. Long known for focusing on traditional health insurance, Indian companies will have to redefine "value" in employee benefits, prioritising prevention, holistic care and addressing the unique needs of their workforce according to the new edition of Healthtech Plum's Employee Health Report 2025.
The new 102-page report released in May 2025 shows 71% non-communicable disease risk, rising anxiety and a loss of one month of productivity per employee annually. it's a critical factor in productivity, engagement, and India's economic future.
It is virtually a economic time bomb. India's workforce potential is threatened by the rise of preventable diseases. With over 600m Indians under age 35, India should be reaping the benefits of a demographic dividend. Instead, the report shows that chronic illnesses are striking a decade earlier than in developed nations, often by age 45 or sooner.
The median age for cardiology consults is just 33, underscoring a troubling trend of early-onset chronic illnesses among India’s working population. Plum’s data reveals a consistent pattern across the onset of major health conditions.
This early onset not only threatens individual well-being but also puts long-term pressure on workforce productivity, healthcare costs, and India’s economic potential.
The chronic disease costs companies up to 30 days per employee every year in productivity losses and disengagement. Four out of 10 employees take at least one sick day each month for mental health reasons and one in five are considering quitting due to burnout.
Despite the growing burden of disease, only 20% of companies offer regular health check-ups, and even when available, just 38% of employees use them.
The study found that mental health issues are also escalating quickly. 20% of Plum’s telehealth consults are mental health-related, with anxiety being the leading concern.
Men dominate healthcare utilisation (58%) in the 30–49 age group yet are less likely to seek mental health support. Women in the 50–59 age group account for 68% of benefit utilisation — a trend shaped by both biology and society.
On one hand, this is the typical age for menopause and perimenopause onset, bringing a surge in health needs. On the other, years of deprioritising their own health due to caregiving roles often leads to late detection and more severe conditions, finally pushing them to seek treatment.
Plum co-founder Abhishek Poddar said, "We need to urge companies to think of healthcare beyond the transactional nature of insurance. True employee well-being lies in providing access to holistic healthcare solutions that encompass mental, physical, and social well-being.
He other co-founder Saurabh Arora said, “Improving health span, not just lifespan, must become a strategic priority for every organisation. The link between employee health and productivity is no longer theoretical. When people delay care or remain unsupported, the costs to business and wellbeing are immediate and measurable. With the right interventions, especially personalised AI-powered ones, we can proactively guide employees toward healthier behaviours, close critical care gaps, and make frameworks like the 14-hour health week not only achievable but transformative.”