Adayu, an in-patient mental health facility of Fortis Healthcare, has partnered with Sitar for Mental Health, an advocacy platform founded by neo-classical musician and sitarist Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, to promote awareness and dialogue around mental health. According to the organisations, the collaboration introduces a music-based well-being programme within a clinical care environment, combining mental healthcare approaches with music engagement.
The partnership aims to increase awareness, support open dialogue and encourage acceptance around mental health. The initiative will combine clinical expertise with music engagement to support community approaches to mental well-being and create experiences that connect patients and communities through music and reflection.
As part of the collaboration, Adayu will incorporate music created by Rishab Rikhiram Sharma within its centre. The facility will also include a dedicated room where patients can engage with music-based experiences. Beginning in April, the partnership will start a school outreach programme across India aimed at helping young people understand emotional balance, resilience and the role of creativity in preventive mental health. Over the next year, the initiative will also include digital awareness campaigns and community-led engagements intended to support conversations around mental health and reach wider audiences.
Samir Parikh said, “Mental health deserves prioritization. Despite growing awareness, stigma continues to affect millions, leaving many to suffer in silence. When a next-generation icon like Rishab Rikhiram Sharma champions mental health, it sparks crucial conversations and encourages communities to seek help without fear or judgment. Collaborations like these help us reach a wider demographic while fostering greater openness and empathy around mental health.”
Rishab Rikhiram Sharma said, “Music has always been a deeply emotional and spiritual experience for me, but over time I realized it can also be a powerful tool for healing and connection. Through Sitar for Mental Health, my intention has been to use the language of music to open conversations about emotional well-being and help people feel less alone in their struggles. By joining hands with mental health experts at Adayu and Dr. Samir Parikh, we hope to create spaces where people can pause, reflect and feel supported. If music can help even one person feel understood, calm, or encouraged to seek help, then it has served a purpose far beyond performance.”
According to the organisations, the collaboration represents an initiative where a hospital chain is introducing music as a complementary tool in mental health care in India. The partnership combines clinical care with advocacy initiatives led by Rishab Rikhiram Sharma and focuses on the use of music in emotional well-being and preventive mental health.
Sitar for Mental Health is a multi-sensory advocacy platform that combines Indian classical music with mindfulness, breathing exercises, guided reflection and conversations on emotional well-being. The initiative began as live sessions on social media during the pandemic and has since expanded to multiple countries including India, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, countries in Europe, South America and the Middle East, reaching audiences through live concerts, videos and online engagement.
Adayu is a mental health facility of Fortis Healthcare and is the group’s first in-patient mental health centre. The facility provides care through a multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, arts-based therapists, nutritionists, physiotherapists and yoga practitioners.