HOPE 2025 at IIT Roorkee Marks a Major Step in India’s Well-Being and Happiness Research Ecosystem

Roorkee, Uttarakhand, December 1, 2025: The Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness, Department of Management Studies, IIT Roorkee, in collaboration with the Rekhi Foundation for Happiness, USA, successfully organised HOPE 2025 – Global Conference on the Science of Happiness and Human Flourishing at the IIT Roorkee Main Campus. The three-day conference brought together scholars, researchers, and practitioners from leading institutions across India, with academic participation from BITS Pilani (KK Birla Goa Campus), IIT Madras, IGDTUW New Delhi and IIM Visakhapatnam, reflecting its strong interdisciplinary and multi-institutional foundation.
The conference opened with participant registration followed by a welcome interaction over high tea at the IIT Roorkee campus. The inaugural ceremony at the MAC Auditorium featured the presence of Dr. Deepam Seth, Director General of Police, Uttarakhand; and Prof. Rajat Agrawal, Head, Department of Management Studies, IIT Roorkee. The session was followed by an engaging panel discussion titled “Prioritising Happiness: Why Wellbeing Must Be at the Centre of Modern Life,” which set the thematic direction for the conference by emphasising the importance of integrating happiness and mental well-being into public policy, education and organisational culture. The inaugural day concluded with a networking dinner hosted by the Department of Management Studies.
The conference featured a full day of parallel presentation tracks and Happiness Hackathon sessions held at the Department of Management Studies. Researchers presented work on themes that included digital well-being, Indian Knowledge Systems, leadership and resilience, urban happiness, gendered well-being, consumer happiness, neuro-cognitive perspectives and workplace mental health. These sessions demonstrated the expanding relevance of happiness science across sectors and its importance in shaping well-being-oriented systems in society. In the afternoon, delegates participated in a curated visit to Rishikesh, providing an immersive experience of mindfulness, reflection and cultural engagement.
The final day of the conference included additional research presentations, a Heartfulness workshop aimed at enhancing experiential learning in well-being sciences, and the valedictory session at the Department of Management Studies. Participants collectively reflected on the insights generated during the three days and on the role that academic research can play in shaping inclusive, resilient and flourishing societies.
Although Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, could not attend the event due to prior institutional commitments, he conveyed his appreciation for the conference and its outcomes. In his message to the organisers and participants, he stated, “HOPE 2025 reinforces IIT Roorkee’s commitment to advancing research that supports human flourishing and societal well-being. India’s development vision increasingly recognises happiness, emotional resilience and mental wellness as essential determinants of national progress. Through this conference, IIT Roorkee continues to contribute meaningfully to the country’s Viksit Bharat aspirations and to global Sustainable Development Goals by bringing rigorous, interdisciplinary research into national discourse.”
Reflecting on the societal relevance of the event, Dr. Deepam Seth, DGP Uttarakhand, said, today policing is not limited to enforcing the law alone; it also carries the important responsibility of providing citizens with a safe and fear-free environment. He further added that topics such as digital crime, online safety of women and children, mindfulness, emotional stability, resilience, and responsible AI have now become practically very important for modern policing as well.”
HOPE 2025 aligns strongly with national priorities outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), the National Mental Health Policy, Digital India’s safe-technology objectives and India’s broader focus on well-being as a pillar of good governance. It also contributes directly to global sustainability priorities, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
With its strong academic collaborations, diverse thematic tracks and deep societal relevance, HOPE 2025 further strengthens IIT Roorkee’s position as a national leader in happiness science and human development research. The Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness at IIT Roorkee continues to work toward shaping frameworks that integrate scientific insights into education, policy, community well-being and organisational practices, thereby contributing to India’s evolving knowledge-based development landscape.