Revolutionising Mental Health Treatment: An Inside Look At Veda, A Luxury Rehab And Wellness Chain
As mental health issues continue to affect an increasing number of people around the world, awareness and access to quality treatment have become more critical than ever before.
Veda Rehabilitation and Wellness Private Limited is a new-age rehab company providing comprehensive mental health treatment and care through its two distinct verticals.
One vertical includes luxury rehab centres located throughout India, offering top-quality mental health treatments in a luxurious and comfortable environment.
The other vertical is an innovative online therapy platform called ‘Happi’ that operates 24 hours a day, providing therapy to individuals from the comfort of their own homes at a minimal cost.
Founded in 2020 by Manun Thakur, Veda began its operations in March 2021. Within 26 months of its existence, the company experienced significant growth and became the centre of choice for celebrities and HNI clients seeking safe and confidential treatment in a luxurious setting.
Veda currently has over 50 employees and is expanding its team to meet the growing demand for its services. The company has offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bengaluru, serving clients across India.
Veda Rehabilitation and Wellness strives to provide clients with the best mental health treatments and build strong connections with them. The company envisions becoming a multinational mental health treatment company that prioritises kindness and empathy towards all.
Veda aims to establish a culture of care and compassion where everyone feels heard, understood, and supported on their path to mental wellness. Through their commitment to excellence and innovation, Veda seeks to set new standards in the field of mental health treatment.
At Veda, they value empathy, respect, professionalism, evidence-based practice, accessibility, continuous improvement, advocacy, and empowerment in providing high-quality mental health treatments.
They prioritise understanding, compassion, and sensitivity in all client interactions and appreciate their diverse backgrounds. Veda’s team maintains ethical behaviour, uses the latest research to inform treatment decisions, and strives to reduce barriers to care.
They advocate for mental health awareness and policy changes and support clients actively participating in their treatment.
Veda is the most advanced multi-speciality rehab and wellness facility that offers treatment for a range of mental and psychological conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and addiction to substance abuse.
The centre operates on a voluntary basis, empowering individuals to take corrective action towards healing without resorting to force or duress.
The highly qualified and experienced clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, cognitive behavioural specialists, and other professionals work together to provide the latest techniques and treatment protocols for optimal healing outcomes.
Veda has an illustrious advisory board that guides and directs its operations, ensuring that each individual who seeks its services receives effective and long-lasting results.
At the Rehab centres, Veda offers all-inclusive treatment packages that include room and board, therapy sessions, wellness activities, and access to premium facilities. These packages can be priced on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on the length of the treatment program.
Veda Luxury Rehabilitation caters to clients who are successful individuals from various fields, including celebrities, politicians, entrepreneurs, doctors, and executives, who seek confidential and safe treatment in a luxurious environment.
Veda has invested over 11.5 crores in creating the largest digital platform in India for mental health treatment called ‘Happi’, offering affordable and anonymous mental health care to those who are unable to afford high-quality care.
In cases of emergency, the platform offers therapy from trained Psychologists 24 hours a day without needing any prior appointments.
They have a pay-per-session model, charging only INR 500 per session for 1 hour. They also offer a freemium model, which includes various free features such as meditations, journaling, informational videos, expert tips, daily mood check-ins, and even psychological assessment tests.
Happi generates revenue by partnering with advertisers or sponsors who promote their products or services on the platform.
Additionally, Veda has affiliate partnerships with other companies, earning a commission for referring clients to their products or services.
The Platform ‘Happi’ serves clients across all age groups and demographics, providing access to therapy and mental health resources to anyone who needs it. You can download the app from your google play store or apple app store by searching for “happi 24/7 therapy”.
A proud father to two beautiful children, Asmara and Saveer, and a devoted husband to his wife, Anjana, Manun Thakur, the founder of Veda, is a seasoned entrepreneur.
Having studied leadership and entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School and computer science at NIIT, Manun, at present, is pursuing a course on “The Science of Well-Being” at Yale.
“The most valuable lessons I have learned have come from life’s challenges, particularly my own personal experiences with mental health issues. As someone who has faced mental health challenges, I am deeply committed, both as an individual and as an entrepreneur, to improving the lives of those struggling with similar issues,”
Manun
In addition to his work with Veda, Manun has multiple business interests, including real estate development, retail, and infrastructure management.
As a passionate and driven individual, the desire to pursue entrepreneurship and be successful was there in Manun from a young age.
However, the inspiration to enter the mental health treatment industry and start a chain of luxury rehab centres came from his personal struggles and experiences with mental health issues.
Manun recognised the need for a holistic and comprehensive treatment centre that could provide individuals with the support they needed to heal and recover.
He conducted extensive research on the latest practices and approaches in the field of rehabilitation and then assembled a team of qualified professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health professionals, and support staff, who aligned with his vision.
Manun then developed a business plan focused on delivering clients a premium experience, including luxurious amenities and facilities, personalised treatment plans, and a compassionate environment.
His hard work and commitment to excellence led Veda Rehabilitation Centres to become recognised as leaders in the industry, providing clients with the tools and support they need to achieve lasting recovery and improve their quality of life.
Entrepreneurship is never easy; Manun, too, came across several roadblocks while navigating the challenging path of starting and growing his business.
“Challenges are inevitable when one is aspiring to make an impact for the greater good. I have managed to overcome these to build, rebuild, and continue the growth cycle to stay in an ever-evolving state that is conducive to both personal and professional development.”
Manun
One of the significant challenges was to convince people to join his centres for treatment. “Considering we were the new kid on the block with a very “young-looking” team, even though they have years of experience, it was very difficult convincing potential clients to trust us in the begining,” explains Manun.
Manun recalls another challenging situation when his company faced a legal and verbal stalemate with their landlords and a gated community where they had opened a new centre in Bangalore.
The community restricted entry to anyone who was not a permanent resident, which hindered the company’s ability to take in clients and conduct business, resulting in a significant loss of time and money.
Manun was faced with the decision of either changing the location, which would set them back by almost half a crore and 6-8 months of time or persevering through the situation.
He chose to seek legal help and communicate with the management about the importance of their business for the community and the livelihoods of their employees.
Through communication, humility, and perseverance, they were able to be heard, and while they still do not have full freedom of movement, they are able to take in clients, and their Bangalore centre is now one of their best-performing centres.
“In my experience, the key qualities necessary for achieving success as a business leader include discipline, vision, resilience, adaptability, decisiveness, and emotional intelligence. A great leader should have a clear and compelling vision for their organisation, which they can effectively communicate to their team and lead by being an example. To cultivate this quality in myself, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted Veda to accomplish and then developed a detailed plan to accomplish those goals.”
Manun
While running a business, setbacks are inevitable; however, successful leaders do not give up in the face of adversity. Instead, they develop a growth mindset, learn from their failures, and use them as opportunities to improve. With perseverance and determination comes resilience that can help bounce back from these setbacks and keep moving forward.
Emotional intelligence is also an important parameter for effective leadership, as per Manun.
Being able to understand and empathise with team members and clients, building strong relationships with them, actively listening to feedback and suggestions, and being open to new ideas can be cultivated by being self-aware, practising active listening, and developing empathy for others.
As a leader, Manun values the needs of his customers and employees and strives to maintain open communication channels to understand their concerns better.
“Through personal interactions, I ensure their needs remain a top priority. I also follow a disciplined routine to manage multiple responsibilities, allowing me to meet the needs of both the business and the people involved with it.”
Veda’s Team
Veda prides itself on setting itself apart from the competition with its unique offerings. With a clinical team certified in the latest form of therapy called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and other popular forms such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Veda provides clients with access to cutting-edge techniques.
The centre also offers a “work from home” option for clients during therapy sessions, which allows them to carry on with their daily activities while still receiving treatment.
This flexibility has been particularly beneficial for high-profile clients, who are able to continue with work or other commitments while still receiving the care they need.
The company also stands out for its multi-city presence, with locations in Mumbai, Bangalore, and New Delhi, as well as plans to open four more centres across India.
This makes them the largest chain of luxury rehabilitation centres in India, allowing clients to switch centres and enjoy a change of scenery during their treatment.
So far Veda has invested close to 11.5 crores in the current tech platform, centres and the company is already valued at over 125 crores.
Veda will continue to invest in the space and has committed another 21 crores to be invested in the business.
In the next few years Veda’s revenue is expected to grow beyond 130 crs.
The success of Veda is a collective effort of dedicated employees and effective leadership working together towards a common goal. Manun’s definition of success as a leader is centred around making a positive impact on the lives of others and creating a safe and transformative space for them.
He prioritises creating a strong company culture that empowers and motivates individuals to unlock their full potential.
“As a leader, I strive to empower and inspire my team to unlock their full potential. At Veda, we maintain an open communication culture where every member can approach me for guidance or support without any hierarchy barriers. Together, we foster a collaborative environment where like-minded individuals work hand in hand towards a common goal,”
Manun
· Economic Times Award from the Economic Times Newspaper
· Promising Startup recognition by Startup India, Government of India
· Media mentions in leading publications across India
· Recognition by The National Security Guard (NSG)
· Doctors themselves seeking treatment from the organisation
· Opening of 3 rehabilitation centres and a digital ecosystem within a record time of 26 months.
At Veda, they regularly conduct inter-company Zoom calls every 15 days to discuss emerging trends, technologies, ideologies, and techniques in the mental health treatment industry. Manun also keeps a close eye on new technologies and mental health treatment approaches.
When considering new technologies or approaches, we prioritise human interaction over indirect mediums of communication, such as artificial intelligence. Additionally, new techniques and concepts are only introduced if they are backed by scientific evidence.
Considering the feat Veda has achieved within such a short span since its founding, i.e., the launch of three flagship rehab centres in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi, Manun is highly confident that they will continue to progress in the days to come.
“There is no limit to the growth Veda can reach. At the moment, we are planning to invest 32 crores over 2 years in the field, and we are constantly on the lookout for new ways to improve and expand our reach. My hope is not just to make “Veda” known and recognised in India but establish it as a worldwide brand, leading in the field of mental health services,”
Manun
Advising young entrepreneurs,
“Always believe in yourself and the work you’re doing in the world. Be consistent and persistent. Keep going forward and working no matter what the results yield. Take risks and never shy away from trying new things for your greater good.”
Manun
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