Sweat equity! Corporate India invests in workplace sports

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 mix—one that’s fast becoming a favourite, especially among our Gen Z (those born between mid-1990s and 2010) employee cohort,” said its chief human resources officer (CHRO) Govindraj MK. “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.

Bonding Beyond Work
“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 CEO 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.