Unlike organisations where pets are occasional visitors, Mars Pet Nutrition India has made them an integral part of everyday office culture. Pets contribute to the workplace by bringing warmth, encouraging meaningful interactions, creating moments of joy, and strengthening the connection between associates and the company's purpose.
Central to this culture are Maya and Mia, Mars Pet Nutrition India's two adopted pet associates. Their presence represents the organisation's long-standing commitment to ensuring pets remain at the centre of its workplace environment.
Commenting on the initiative, Manish Syag, Managing Director, Mars Pet Nutrition India, said that pets remain at the heart of everything the organisation does. He stated that the company's purpose of creating "A Better World for Pets" is reflected through its brands, campaigns and, most importantly, through the workplace culture it has built. He said the India office has always welcomed pets, while Maya and Mia remind associates every day of the company's purpose by bringing people together, creating joyful moments and reinforcing the reason the organisation exists as a pet nutrition business.
Maya's journey began when she was adopted into the Mars Pet Nutrition India family and gradually made the office her home. What started as an act of care evolved into a defining part of the workplace culture. She became part of the daily routine by welcoming associates, encouraging collaboration, inspiring moments of pause and continuously reminding employees of the strong bond between people and pets. Over time, Maya became much more than an office companion, emerging as a beloved pet associate and a living representation of the organisation's purpose.
More recently, Mia was adopted into the Mars Pet Nutrition India family, adding further warmth, enthusiasm and positive energy to the workplace. Together, Maya and Mia embody the company's mission of creating a better world for pets.
During this year's Bring Your Pet to Work Day celebration, pets took over the workplace in a unique initiative that extended from office workstations to professional LinkedIn profiles. Across the office, pets accompanied associates throughout their workspaces, encouraged conversations, lifted workplace morale and created an atmosphere of joy, playfulness and human connection.
The celebrations also extended to LinkedIn, where associates temporarily handed over their professional profiles to their pets. Profile photographs were replaced, professional identities were reimagined and job titles were transformed to reflect playful pet personalities.
Across the Mars Pet Nutrition India network, pets introduced themselves with titles including Chief Barketing Officer, Treat Acquisition Expert, Chief Entertainment Officer, Chief Executive Floof Officer and Global Lead for Food Detection and Recovery. Through these creative identities, associates highlighted the often-unrecognised role pets play as companions, stress relievers, providers of daily routine, sources of happiness and silent supporters behind every working day.
The LinkedIn initiative represented more than a creative digital campaign. It reflected the belief that while employees bring their professional selves to work, pets often help them bring their best selves to work.
The company's approach is supported by findings from the Mars Pet Nutrition Pet Friendly Advantage 2026 Workplace Report, which surveyed more than 16,000 workers across 16 European markets. According to the report, 55 percent of respondents said they would consider changing jobs if they could bring their pets to work, while 81 percent believed pets help create a more relaxed workplace environment. The report concluded that pet-friendly workplaces can positively influence employee wellbeing, workplace culture, belonging and talent retention.
Mars Pet Nutrition India stated that these findings are already reflected in its own workplace, where pets have remained an essential part of the organisation's culture for several years.
The initiative also aligns with growing evidence highlighting the positive impact of pets on everyday wellbeing. According to the Mars and Calm study conducted in India, 93 percent of Indian pet parents said their pets encourage them to take breaks from work, 92 percent reported that pets help them disconnect from screens, 88 percent said pets reduce anxiety and overthinking, while 79 percent stated that pets have a positive impact on their mental wellbeing.
Veronika Kraus, Director, People and Organisation, Mars Pet Nutrition India, said workplace culture is shaped by everyday experiences. She said pets naturally contribute to those experiences by encouraging open interactions, bringing warmth into the workplace and creating meaningful moments of belonging. She added that Bring Your Pet to Work Day brought these values to life within the office, while the LinkedIn takeover successfully extended the same spirit online in an authentic, joyful and personal manner.
For associates, the celebration was both memorable and emotional, allowing pet parents to bring an important part of their personal lives into the workplace while giving colleagues the opportunity to experience how pets can positively transform the atmosphere, energy and pace of a shared working environment.
Sharing his experience, Jagadeesh Konathala, Chief Digital Information Officer, Mars Pet Nutrition, Rapid Growth Markets, said he was proud to work for an organisation where pets are celebrated every day. He stated that Mars Pet Nutrition India serves pets not only through nutritional products but also by making them an important part of daily workplace life. Having brought his own pet to work on several occasions, he described the celebration as a natural extension of an already established culture. He said watching pets take over workstations and LinkedIn profiles was joyful while reinforcing why the workplace remains unique, where pets truly belong.
Mars Pet Nutrition India said the initiative forms part of its continuing commitment to creating "A Better World for Pets" while demonstrating how pets can be meaningfully integrated into workplaces as an enduring element of a connected, empathetic and purpose-driven organisational culture rather than a one-day celebration.
The initiative highlights the growing global recognition that pet-friendly workplaces contribute to stronger organisational culture, improved employee wellbeing, enhanced collaboration and greater workplace belonging. Through the presence of Maya, Mia and other pets, Mars Pet Nutrition India continues to position pets as an integral part of its workplace identity while setting an example for purpose-led organisational culture.
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