Philanthropist Rohini Nilekani Will Co-Host Mental Health Festival Manotsava As It Returns To Bengaluru This November
The two-day event will feature over 50 sessions exploring everything from teen mental health, workplace burnout, and psychedelic therapy to ageing.
Published : October 10, 2025 at 9:44 AM IST
Mental health festival Manotsava is back for its second edition on November 8 and 9, 2025, at The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru. The festival, co-hosted by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Foundation (RNPF), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), will bring together experts from mental health, science, policy, art, and technology along with thousands of participants from across India.
Festival Co-host Rohini Nilekani is a committed philanthropist and has been named ‘the most generous woman in India’ on the EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy Report since its inception. In 2024, she also featured in the top 10 individuals in the India Philanthropy List. In 2017, she signed the Giving Pledge with her husband Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, which commits half their wealth to philanthropic causes. Rohini is the Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Co-founder and Director of the non-profit EkStep. A former journalist, she has written a medical thriller called Stillborn, and a non-fiction book, Uncommon Ground, based on her eponymous TV show, apart from several books for young children.
What Is Manotsava About?
The first edition of Manotsava, held in October 2024, drew over 2,300 participants and featured 70 sessions led by experts. Building on that success, Manotsava 2025 promises to be more expansive and immersive; an effort to make discussions on mental health not only accessible but also celebratory, hopeful, and rooted in community.
What To Expect At Manotsava 2025
The two-day event in 2025 will feature over 50 sessions exploring everything from teen mental health, caregiving, workplace burnout, and psychedelic therapy, to the connection between the mind and body in areas like ageing, disability, and the gut–brain axis. The goal, organisers say, is to make mental health conversations open, relatable, and community-driven. Following the public festival, NCBS will host an invite-only neuroscience research symposium on November 10 and 11, focused on “Emerging Biology of Neuropsychiatric Disorders.” The event will bring together some of the world’s leading neuroscientists to deepen understanding of brain research.
Among the speakers at Manotsava 2025 are:
Dr Richard J. Davidson, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Founder of the Center for Healthy Minds
Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson and Founder of Biocon Limited
Dr Prabha Chandra, NIMHANS
Prof Vidita Vaidya, TIFR Mumbai
Dr Kaz De Jong, Médecins Sans Frontières
Neha Bhat, Arts-Based Sexual Trauma Psychotherapist and Author
Aparna Piramal Raje, Author
Dr Nandita Iyer, Author and Health Coach
The festival will also introduce ‘Belong-a-luru,’ a special music-led project by folk-rock band Swarathma, which explores what it means to belong in the cities we live in (a theme closely tied to Manotsava’s mission of nurturing connection in an increasingly disconnected world). New to this year’s festival is a children’s zone with interactive programming focused on early childhood and mental wellbeing. The event is open to students, professionals, caregivers, and health practitioners, with activities designed for all age groups.
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