2 CFOs, hobby classes, spa sessions: How Harsh Goenka plans to make RPG a 'happy place'

Billionaire Richard Branson once said, “I love to look after the body. If I feel great, I can achieve anything.”

It’s a philosophy that RPG Chairman Harsh Goenka wholeheartedly agrees with and wants to incorporate in his company. Earlier this month, he announced that they would be appointing a Chief Fitness Officer to look after the physical and mental well-being of their employees.


The Two CFOs

“We want fitness to occupy more mind space. Happy people are fit and vice versa. There is sufficient empirical evidence to suggest that. Additionally, mental well-being and physical fitness have a positive correlation,” Goenka told ET Panache.

To this end, RPG Enterprises recently appointed Dr. Deepali Athawale as Chief Fitness Officer.

“There as two CFOs and one is as important as the other! One handles numbers while the other does so with people,” he said.

“Apart from guiding employees about how to adopt healthier lifestyles, the Chief Fitness Officer will deep dive and address specific concerns that may relate to an individual. For people who need it, this means easy access to counselling and support.”

Work-Life Balance

So why is Goenka pushing for better fitness (both mental and physical) at the office?

“Happiness is core to all that we do – be it for our customers, our investors, our people or our business partners. All of us struggle with multiple concerns – aging parents, work stress, fatigue, insomnia, insecurities and so on. The lines between work and life are getting increasingly blurred and I believe in the concept of Life@Work. Therefore, it is imperative that we offer support to people on multiple fronts in the workplace. It is our philosophy. Our wellness initiatives include personal financial planning, hobby classes and even a visit to the spa!”