Corporate India is staring at a growing health challenge as nearly one in four employees is now pre-diabetic, according to a new study by MediBuddy, the country’s largest digital healthcare platform. The findings, based on health screenings conducted between August 2024 and July 2025, reveal a worrying rise in lifestyle-related diseases among the working population.
The report shows that 8.85% of corporate employees are diabetic, while 24.40% are pre-diabetic, up from 7.89% and 19.38% respectively in the previous year. The burden is heaviest in the 31–50 age group, but the study also noted a sharp year-on-year rise in pre-diabetes among younger professionals aged 20–30, signaling a growing concern for early onset diabetes.
Men More Affected Than Women
Gender-wise, men continue to bear the larger burden. Among male employees, diabetes prevalence rose from 6.76% to 7.43%, while pre-diabetes jumped from 14.64% to 18.11%. For women, the prevalence increased from 1.13% to 1.42% for diabetes, and from 4.74% to 6.29% for pre-diabetes.
Rising Costs for Employers
The implications go beyond personal health. For companies, a higher incidence of diabetes among employees translates into increased hospitalisation and insurance costs. As diabetes progresses, patients face more frequent inpatient care and prolonged recovery times, driving up inpatient department (IPD) expenses for employer-provided healthcare.
Dr. Gowri Kulkarni, Head of Medical Operations at MediBuddy, called the findings a “wake-up call for corporate India.” She warned that unmanaged diabetes is one of the leading contributors to hospital admissions and financial strain on corporate insurance budgets.
“Early detection through regular screenings, combined with lifestyle and disease-management programmes, can significantly reduce the risk of costly complications. Employers have both an opportunity and responsibility to integrate preventive healthcare into workplace wellness strategies,” Dr. Kulkarni said.
Need for Preventive Healthcare
The report urges companies to adopt comprehensive wellness programmes that focus not just on diabetes management, but also on weight loss, nutrition, and lifestyle modification. By proactively addressing these risks, organisations can protect employee well-being and reduce long-term financial stress on their healthcare spending.
