Hyderabad: Neerja Birla urges awareness on mental health at YFLO session

At a YFLO Hyderabad session titled ‘Invisible Selves – Insights into Mental Health’, Neerja Birla shared her personal experiences and called for greater awareness, empathy, and open dialogue. She urged parents to stay emotionally connected and prioritise mental wellness for all

Hyderabad: The Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO), a wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), hosted a session ‘Invisible Selves – Insights into Mental Health’ featuring Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson of the Aditya Birla Education Trust and founder of Mpower.

Reflecting on her journey, Neerja Birla shared how her daughter’s struggle with mental illness inspired her advocacy for the 200 million Indians affected by mental health issues. Citing that 1 in 4 teenagers in India face such challenges, and 16% of Indians overall are affected, she underscored that “illness doesn’t discriminate,” referencing her own recurring experience with post-partum depression.

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Discussing early warning signs, she urged parents to stay emotionally present and connected to their children to detect issues triggered by bullying or online abuse. She also emphasised the need to make the ‘invisible illness’ visible through awareness and infrastructure—particularly for women navigating emotional and hormonal transitions.

YFLO Chairperson Pallavi Jain opened the session, emphasising that ‘mental health is not a luxury anymore – it’s a necessity.’