COMING SOON
July 2026

Golden Trophy

Happiness Wins

The Happiest Places to Work® Awards recognise organisations that go beyond intent and take measurable action to build happy workplaces, grounded in the belief that recognition must be earned through evidence, ensuring fairness, credibility, and trust. Organisations that understand happiness is not a perk but a strategic driver of performance, retention, innovation and long-term growth. These awards represent proof of commitment. Proof that leadership listens. Proof that culture is measured. And proof that happiness, when designed deliberately, becomes a competitive advantage.

2026 Jury

Jury Chair

harsh goenka
Harsh Goenka, RPG

Harsh Goenka needs no introduction. He is the Chairman of RPG Enterprises and a fifth-generation entrepreneur from one of India's most renowned business families. Known for his modern management approach, he is deeply passionate about people and organisational potential, with a strong belief that happy people are more creative and driven to excel. He has led several prominent companies, including CEAT, KEC International, and RPG Life Sciences, and has also held leadership roles across industry bodies and institutions.

Jury Member

Pavitra Singh
Achal Khanna, SHRM

Achal Khanna is the CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in India and the Asia Pacific and MENA region. As a women leader, Achal is enthusiastic about women's empowerment, work culture, and leadership. In her current role, Achal Khanna is focused on strengthening the SHRM brand, growing its business, and building strategic relationships with government bodies and regional HR and business associations. She brings a strong track record of building and leading successful businesses across multinational and Indian organisations.

Pavitra Singh
Harit Nagpal, TATA PLAY

Harit Nagpal is the Managing Director and CEO of Tata Play, with nearly four decades of leadership experience across media, telecom, and consumer businesses. Since joining the company in January 2011, he has helped steer its growth and position it as a leading player in India's content and entertainment distribution space. Prior to Tata Play, he held senior leadership roles at Vodafone, Shoppers Stop, Pepsi, Marico, and Lakmé, and is widely recognized for his strong understanding of consumers, brands, and business transformation.

Pavitra Singh
Sunita Cherian, Ex Wipro

Sunita Rebecca Cherian, ex-Chief Culture Officer and Senior Vice President, Corporate Human Resources, is a global HR and culture leader with three decades of experience shaping people strategy, culture, and inclusion across complex multinational organisations. She served at Wipro Limited, where she was also a member of the Executive Committee. She now serves in board and advisory roles across HR, governance, and technology, including Medi Assist Healthcare Services Limited, SB Constantia, Vantage Circle, Salary Se, and TAPMI.

Pavitra Singh
Pushp Nayar, BPCL

Pushp Kumar Nayar is Executive Director, Human Resource Development at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), with over three decades of experience across operations, sales, marketing, supply chain, and human resources. Over the course of his career, he has held a range of leadership roles within BPCL, bringing a well-rounded understanding of both business and people. He is known for his strong focus on leadership development, organisational growth, and building high-performing teams.

Pavitra Singh
Pavitra Singh, PepsiCo

Pavitra Singh heads HR for PepsiCo India and has been with the organisation since 2006. With over 20 years of experience, she has held leadership roles across talent management, learning and development, culture, diversity and inclusion, talent acquisition, and HR business partnering in India and other markets. Before PepsiCo, she worked with American Express and Fair Isaac. She is passionate about building institutional capability, nurturing young talent, and creating inclusive workplaces, and has been recognized by several leading platforms for her contribution to HR and DE&I.

Pavitra Singh
Dr. Atul Hegde, YAAP Digital

Dr. Atul Hegde is the Founder & Chairman of YAAP Digital , with over two decades of experience at the intersection of media, marketing, technology, and entrepreneurship. Through his work as an investor, founder, and business leader, he has played an influential role in shaping India's digital and startup ecosystem. An advocate of Happiness at work. He is known for building and scaling forward-looking businesses, he brings a strong understanding of innovation, brand-building, and the evolving dynamics of the digital economy.

Pavitra Singh
Nitu Bhushan, NESTLE

Nitu Bhushan is the Head of Human Resources at Nestlé India, bringing over two decades of experience in people strategy, leadership development, and organisational transformation across global organisations. Prior to joining Nestlé India in 2026, she served as Chief Human Resources Officer for South Asia at Pernod Ricard, where she played a key role in shaping talent strategy and building high-performing teams. Over the course of her career, Nitu has held senior HR leadership roles at Abbott, Mondelēz, HSBC, Asian Paints, and Accenture, building cross-sector experience across FMCG, pharma, banking, and technology.

Pavitra Singh
Dr. Prajjal Saha, HRKatha

Dr. Prajjal Saha is the Founder and Editor Chief of HRKatha, one of Asia's leading HR and workplace media platforms. With over 25 years of experience in business journalism, writing, and editing, he is known for shaping insightful conversations on the evolving world of work, leadership, and people strategy. Through his acclaimed Marketing White Book, Dr. Prajjal Saha reflects a breadth of expertise spanning HR, marketing, distribution, and technology, alongside a deep understanding of business and workplace transformation.

Built on Insight, Backed by Evidence

Organisations participate in a structured evaluation designed to assess employee experience and workplace culture through measurable indicators.

THE EVALUATION FOLLOWS THREE STAGES

Assessment

Employees share their workplace experience through a confidential, data-driven evaluation.

Culture Audit

Organisational practices and cultural indicators are reviewed alongside employee insights.

Jury Review

Organisations that meet defined benchmarks are evaluated by an independent jury panel for final recognition.

Only organisations demonstrating strong, consistent outcomes across evaluation criteria progress to recognition.

Your Path to Recognition

Process and PARTCIPATION FEES

  • Step 1: Register – Fill out the registration form to get started
  • Step 2: Employee Assessment – A brief survey with a representative sample of your workforce
  • Step 3: Culture Audit – Highlight the initiatives and programs that make your workplace stand out

Already Certified as Happiest Places to Work with us? You're In. Eligibility is granted across all award categories, with no additional fees required. No forms. No fees!

Application deadline:10th June 2026
Processing Fee
Employee Strength Early Bird (Till 15th May) Standard Fee
Below 250 ₹ 35,000 ₹ 45,000
251-500 ₹ 60,000 ₹ 70,000
501-1000 ₹ 80,000 ₹ 90,000
1001-5000 ₹ 1,00,000 ₹ 1,10,000
5001-10000 ₹ 1,20,000 ₹ 1,30,000
10000+ ₹ 1,50,000 ₹ 1,60,000

Participation does not guarantee an award.
The Happiest Places to Work® Awards are conferred solely on the basis of a rigorous and objective evaluation process. Recognition is determined through a comprehensive employee assessment, a detailed cultural audit, and an independent jury review.

Measures That Matter

Workplace happiness is shaped by multiple dimensions of the employee experience. The evaluation examines how organisations enable people to thrive through:

Ability to nurture themselves both mentally & physically
Authenticity & ability to fearlessly make decisions
Appreciate what the organisation does
Effective communication & clarity
Sense of meaning & purpose to achieve highest potential
Organizational connects & relationships
Culture of appreciation & respect
Ability to overcome difficulty & maintain positivity at work
Sense of belonging & equal opportunities
Sense of autonomy

Each dimension is assessed through a structured, data-led evaluation to ensure consistency and reliability of outcomes.

Where Measurement Meets Credibility

The Happiest Places to Work benchmark follows a rigorous, data-led methodology designed to ensure fairness and credibility. Evaluations are conducted using standardised frameworks, defined indicators, and benchmark comparisons across organisations of similar size and context. Outcomes are validated through a multi-stage review process, ensuring objectivity at every stage of evaluation.

Awards

Size-Based Categories
Below 250
251-500
501-1000
1001-5000
5001-10000
10000+

Industry-Based Categories

E-commerce Renewable Energy
Infrastructure (Roads, Ports, Railways) Power, Oil & Gas
Gems & Jewellery Telecommunications
BFSI Tourism & Hospitality
FMCG Retail & Textiles
Services (Gig Economy) Metals & Mining
Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals Real Estate
Aviation Manufacturing
Media & Entertainment Education
Automobiles Consumer Durables
Agriculture & Allied Healthcare
IT NGO

Frequently Asked Questions

A representative sample is a percentage of the total employee population selected in a way that ensures fair representation across the organization. This may include representation across functions, levels, locations, or other relevant employee groups.

The Cultural Audit is a structured review of the organization's people practices, policies, and workplace experience.

Recognition is determined through a three-layered evaluation process:

  • Objective Employee Assessment
  • Cultural Audit Submission
  • Independent Jury Review

Yes. The employee assessment is an essential part of the awards process, as it brings employee voice into the evaluation and forms a core part of how organizations are assessed.

Organizations with 30 employees or above, across all sectors/industries, are eligible to participate in the awards.

No, participation does not guarantee an award. All awards are based on evaluation outcomes, and organizations must meet the required standards and category criteria to be considered.

Yes. Individual employee responses remain confidential and are not disclosed in an identifiable manner. Organisational data is handled with care and used only for evaluation, reporting, and agreed award-related communication.

You can also reach out to us at hello@happiestplacestowork.com
or +91 93722 54544