Bengaluru: India’s workforce is facing a mounting health crisis. Chronic illnesses are striking a decade earlier in India than in developed nations, often by age 40 or sooner. One in five employees seek mental health support, and 20% consider quitting due to burnout, according to the Employee Health Report 2025 by staff health benefits platform Plum.
The median age for cardiology consults is just 33, found the report, underscoring a troubling trend of early-onset chronic illnesses among India’s working population. Plum’s data reveals a consistent age pattern across the onset of major health conditions: heart disease (32), cancer (33), diabetes (34), chronic kidney disease (35) and cerebrovascular diseases like strokes and ischemia (35).
The employee health benefits platform has partnered with over 6,000 corporates and more than 600,000 users and analysed data from 100,000 telehealth consultations, alongside 25,000 insurance claims, 1,998 health camp participants, and 512 survey responses.
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 result is worrying: Chronic disease costs companies up to 30 days per employee every year in productivity losses and disengagement. As much as 40% of employees take at least one sick day each month for mental health reasons.
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.
Physical health concerns apart, mental health issues are also rising fast. Anxiety is the leading concern among employees.
The data also shows a gender divide in access and stigma. 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. For women, this is the typical age for menopause and perimenopause onset, leading to a surge in health needs. On the other hand, 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.
While men are disproportionately at risk for early-onset chronic diseases, the data shows that preventive screenings and early interventions remain low across both genders, particularly among males.
Men make up 47% of insurance claims, yet only 46% of telehealth users, indicating a significant reluctance to seek help early. When men do seek mental health support, they report 54% higher symptom severity in their first session—suggesting delayed intervention. The drop-off rate after the first consultation is 42% higher among men compared to women
Men are overrepresented in high-stigma conditions such as OCD (69%), ADHD (63%), and addiction (89%), yet often don’t pursue sustained care—further deepening the mental health gap. As much as 70% of women say current health benefits do not meet their real needs.
India Inc has made progress, with a 100% increase in startups and enterprises investing in preventive and flexible healthcare, but only 34% of companies offer benefits aligned with what employees truly value. However, for every Rs100 invested in health, companies generate Rs 296 in healthcare savings for employees, said the report, proving that investing in employee health makes economic sense.
“We need to urge companies to think of healthcare beyond the transactional nature of insurance,” said Abhishek Poddar, co-founder of Plum. “Our report underscores the urgency for a comprehensive approach that empowers employees to take charge of their health journey, including addressing the specific mental health needs of different demographics within the workforce.”
Plum co-founder Saurabh Arora said, “Improving healthspan, not just lifespan, must become a strategic priority for every organisation.”
The median age for cardiology consults is just 33, found the report, underscoring a troubling trend of early-onset chronic illnesses among India’s working population. Plum’s data reveals a consistent age pattern across the onset of major health conditions: heart disease (32), cancer (33), diabetes (34), chronic kidney disease (35) and cerebrovascular diseases like strokes and ischemia (35).
The employee health benefits platform has partnered with over 6,000 corporates and more than 600,000 users and analysed data from 100,000 telehealth consultations, alongside 25,000 insurance claims, 1,998 health camp participants, and 512 survey responses.
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 result is worrying: Chronic disease costs companies up to 30 days per employee every year in productivity losses and disengagement. As much as 40% of employees take at least one sick day each month for mental health reasons.
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.
Physical health concerns apart, mental health issues are also rising fast. Anxiety is the leading concern among employees.
The data also shows a gender divide in access and stigma. 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. For women, this is the typical age for menopause and perimenopause onset, leading to a surge in health needs. On the other hand, 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.
While men are disproportionately at risk for early-onset chronic diseases, the data shows that preventive screenings and early interventions remain low across both genders, particularly among males.
Men make up 47% of insurance claims, yet only 46% of telehealth users, indicating a significant reluctance to seek help early. When men do seek mental health support, they report 54% higher symptom severity in their first session—suggesting delayed intervention. The drop-off rate after the first consultation is 42% higher among men compared to women
Men are overrepresented in high-stigma conditions such as OCD (69%), ADHD (63%), and addiction (89%), yet often don’t pursue sustained care—further deepening the mental health gap. As much as 70% of women say current health benefits do not meet their real needs.
India Inc has made progress, with a 100% increase in startups and enterprises investing in preventive and flexible healthcare, but only 34% of companies offer benefits aligned with what employees truly value. However, for every Rs100 invested in health, companies generate Rs 296 in healthcare savings for employees, said the report, proving that investing in employee health makes economic sense.
“We need to urge companies to think of healthcare beyond the transactional nature of insurance,” said Abhishek Poddar, co-founder of Plum. “Our report underscores the urgency for a comprehensive approach that empowers employees to take charge of their health journey, including addressing the specific mental health needs of different demographics within the workforce.”
Plum co-founder Saurabh Arora said, “Improving healthspan, not just lifespan, must become a strategic priority for every organisation.”
You may also like
Wife of top Trump aide leaves White House to work for Elon Musk full time: 'Only woman....'
Centre imposes wheat stock limits on traders to keep prices in check
Next's 'perfect for every wardrobe' £22 linen top is 'cool and comfortable'
Ponting Urges India To Include Arshdeep In Playing Eleven For Tests Against England
Oasis 25 Tour merchandise unveiled with homage to iconic Knebworth gigs
