Deepika Padukone Appointed First-Ever Mental Health Ambassador by Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
New Delhi, October 11, 2025: The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) has appointed actor and mental health advocate Deepika Padukone, Founder of The Live Love Laugh Foundation (LLL), as India’s first-ever Mental Health Ambassador. The appointment marks a significant step in advancing national efforts to promote mental health awareness, de-stigmatization, and access to care.
The announcement, made on World Mental Health Day 2025, reflects the Ministry’s focus on integrating mental health as a key component of India’s overall public health framework. Through this collaboration, Ms. Padukone and the Ministry will work together to build a more inclusive, empathetic, and resilient mental health ecosystem across the country.
Shri J.P. Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, said, “The partnership with Ms. Deepika Padukone will help widely disseminate awareness about mental health issues in India, normalize discussions to reduce stigma, and highlight mental health as an integral aspect of public health.”
Expressing her gratitude on the occasion, Deepika Padukone said, “I am deeply honoured to serve as the first-ever Mental Health Ambassador for the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has made significant strides in prioritizing mental health care. I look forward to working closely with the Ministry to build on this momentum and further strengthen our nation’s mental health framework.”
In her new role, Ms. Padukone will collaborate with the Ministry on several strategic initiatives, including:
Raising nationwide awareness and promoting open dialogue around mental health;
Encouraging help-seeking behaviour and preventive mental health practices;
Promoting government-led mental health programs such as Tele-MANAS (Tele-Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States); and
Supporting the development of equitable and accessible mental health interventions across urban and rural India.
The announcement coincides with the tenth anniversary of The Live Love Laugh Foundation (LLL), which Ms. Padukone founded in 2015 following her own experience with depression. Over the past decade, the Foundation has supported over 21,900 persons with mental illness (PWMIs) and their caregivers through its Rural Community Mental Health Program spanning 15 districts across eight states.
The Foundation has also led major public awareness campaigns such as “Dobara Poocho” and “#NotAshamed”, as well as targeted programs like “You Are Not Alone” for adolescents and a Doctors Program for general practitioners. More recently, it launched a Corporate Mental Health and Well-being Program to promote workplace mental health practices.
The Ministry’s appointment of Deepika Padukone as Mental Health Ambassador represents a growing recognition of the importance of advocacy and public engagement in shaping India’s mental health narrative. The collaboration aims to complement government-led initiatives with community-driven awareness, bridging gaps between policy, practice, and public perception.
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