#DDD - Dil Dhadakne Do: Making AgStars Healthier

The modern corporate workforce in India faces numerous health challenges due to the demands of a fast-paced professional life. Balancing work and personal life can become a daunting task, leading to increased stress levels and potential reductions in productivity and overall happiness at work. As highlighted by Harvard Business Review in an article titled “To Improve Your Work Performance, Get Some Exercise”, regular exercise and an active lifestyle play a huge role in our work performance. 

With an intent to create a meaningful impact on the lives of our AgStars, we launched an initiative called "Dil Dhadakne Do" (DDD) our attempt at a comprehensive approach to employee well-being at AgroStar and helping them win not only at work but also in their personal health goals.

What is "Dil Dhadakne Do"?

At AgroStar, the "Dil Dhadakne Do" a.k.a DDD Initiative is more than just a program—it's a commitment to the well-being of our valued employees - AgStars and INStars (INI Farms). The "Dil Dhadakne Do" initiative was conceived—to empower our AgStars to thrive both in their personal lives and at work with a focus on 3 key pillars - Physical well-being, Mental well-being and Diet and nutrition.

Sports: The driving force of DDD 

2023 was a landmark year for the DDD initiative highlighted by the tournaments that helped us become fit and create memories of a lifetime. We organised the fourth season of the AgroStar Cricket Premier League (ACPL), First ever season of AgroStar Open (Badminton) participants and took over 60 AgStars to participate in PCHM (Pimpri-Chinchwad Half Marathon).  

ACPL has been a consistent part of AgroStar for the past four years, and it continues to grow in popularity. With over 150 participants from various functions, the 2023 edition of ACPL started with a fierce player auction, reminiscent of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, it was during the tournament that a moment of realisation struck. One of the players sustained an injury due to early morning dew on the ground. In true AgroStar spirit, all teams united, deciding to delay the tournament until all players were fit to participate. Shoutout to our injured hero, Rignesh Patel who brought teams that were competing with one another together. This incident exemplified the love, respect, and empathy that AgStars have for one another. Eventually, the tournament resumed and we witnessed some epic battles, great camaraderie and team spirit.

Check out glimpses from Season 4 of ACPL: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOhDqkkDOek

In 2023, we witnessed the first-ever edition of a badminton tournament at AgroStar called 'AgroStar Open'. The beauty of a sport like badminton is that it allows for representation across all age and gender groups. With each team playing 4 doubles matches, we saw 8 teams participating in the tournament in a Davis Cup-like format. The tournament helped create so many new bonds and allowed many AgStars to interact with individuals from different departments for the first time. We witnessed so many of those conversations bloom into friendships. The nature of the fierce competition was highlighted by the number of tie-breakers, team members nudging each other and in one case even a tiff with the referee. All of these elements added to the fun of the entire tournament and made it special for all AgStars. 

Check out the fun moments from the tournament here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63T6Q32oJeQ

Another milestone that we are proud of achieving this year was the participation of 60+ AgStars in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Half Marathon. This was the second year that AgStars were participating in this marathon, in 2022, we saw participation from 17 AgStars. This number grew by 3x in 2023 with 60+ AgStars participating across 2 categories: 5km and 10km. What made this marathon extra special was that most participants were non-runners and many had never run 5 kilometres at a stretch. The preparations for the marathon began a month in advance with AgStars sharing updates about their progress in a WhatsApp group, encouraging each other to reach their milestones. This marathon truly showcased the power of a supportive community and its role in helping individuals break mental barriers about their capabilities.

Check out the fun vibes from the marathon in this video: 

https://youtu.be/nl1vF-PdE4M

Events like these have been an eye-opener for us and made us realise the importance of getting people together in such an environment. Sport is a great equaliser that helps individuals bond without any inhibitions about someone’s designation, background, or any other biases we may carry in our minds. 

Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles for all AgStars

The beauty of the DDD initiative is that now it has started conversations among AgStars about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, we are seeing team members come together to play cricket, badminton, football, etc. regularly and some of them are already preparing for their next marathon. We constantly get questions about the next tournament we are organising. This whole initiative has helped us realise that the most important pillar in someone’s health and wellness journey is the community around them. 

DDD has become an integral part of the ‘AgroStar Life’ and is helping AgStars live a healthy life. Our vision for the future is to continue building this community at AgroStar which can help each other in their journey to build a healthy lifestyle. This year, we will bring you exciting updates from ACPL season 5, the first-ever season on ACPL - Women, the second season of AgroStar Open and much more. With "Dil Dhadakne Do" leading the way, the journey towards a healthier, happier, and more fulfilled workforce continues.

Follow the AgroStar page on LinkedIn and the ‘AgroStar Life’ page on Instagram to witness the magic of #DDD !