Invisible advantage: How clean air powers Sanofi's Hyderabad team

In a world that grapples with air pollution, Sanofi's Hyderabad office is an oasis of clean air, and the results speak for themselves.

Every morning, Amrita Kulkarni walks from her home in Kukatpally, northwestern Hyderabad, to her bus stop. By 8.15am, she's standing at a crowded junction where rush-hour traffic creates a cocktail of exhaust fumes and dust that triggers her allergic rhinitis.

But the moment she boards Sanofi's air-conditioned transport coach, everything transforms. "I experience a striking difference in the air quality as soon as I enter Sanofi's transport bus," says Kulkarni, an Analyst in Market Research and Competitive Intelligence who has been with Sanofi for over two years. "It's an arena of dust-free, clean space, totally opposite to the surroundings outside."

Her daily journey mirrors the experience of thousands of employees across India's major cities. According to Swiss air quality technology company IQAir's 2024 World Air Quality Report, India's particulate matter concentrations are roughly 10 times higher than World Health Organization safety thresholds.

For instance, Byrnihat, a northeastern city, recorded an average PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) concentration of 128.2 µg/m³ in 2024, according to IQAir, exceeding WHO guidelines (5 μg/m³) by more than 25 times. Byrnihat heads the IQAir rankings for the most polluted city in the world, while an alarming 37 other Indian cities appear in the top 50.

For the 3,500 employees at Sanofi's Hyderabad hub, the daily experience of being in an air-conditioned isn't just about comfort. It's about health, performance, and the tangible difference that clean air makes to their working lives.

When allergies rule your day

Dr. Sandeep Akella knows exactly what bad air feels like. As Data Strategy & Capability Lead in Sanofi's R&D Data Office, he's spent years managing dust allergies that turn commuting into a health challenge.

"We live in an urban jungle: concrete everywhere, surrounded by tall buildings with few trees," explains Akella, who joined Sanofi just over a year ago. "When I step outside, I can feel the air is heavier. If there's dust, within minutes I start sneezing uncontrollably."

The symptoms cascade quickly. Sneezing fits lasting 10 to 15 minutes, complete nasal congestion, thick phlegm buildup, and, if exposure continues, mild fever. On particularly bad pollution days, these reactions can knock him out for hours.

Kulkarni faces similar battles with allergic rhinitis. Construction dust from Hyderabad's building boom triggers severe sneezing episodes that derail entire mornings.

Since starting at Sanofi, both employees have experienced something remarkable: their symptoms have disappeared completely.

A holistic sensory experience

When Kulkarni enters the Sanofi office each morning, she's greeted by an environment that feels therapeutic. "Beautiful natural air purifying plants like monstera and philodendrons are spread throughout the office space," she explains. "Combined with aroma oil diffusers running throughout office hours, the environment becomes pleasant and refreshing."

The biophilic design is both aesthetically pleasing and scientifically strategic. Kulkarni, who served as a "workplace wizard" during the office design phase, researched the specific plants chosen for their air-cleaning properties.

"Monstera absorbs formaldehyde and xylene, chemicals that are especially common in polluted Indian cities," she explains. "When you have multiple plants working together throughout the space, they create a natural purification system that complements the mechanical systems."

For Kulkarni, the combination of cleaner air and natural surroundings creates a calming effect that helps her breathe more deeply and think more clearly. "It's like the feeling you get after doing yoga," she says. "That deep breath where your lungs actually fill properly, combined with the visual calm of seeing green plants everywhere you look."

Peak performance through environmental design

When Sanofi redesigned its Hyderabad office in 2023, the company made air quality a cornerstone of its workplace strategy. Air quality forms just one element of Sanofi's 360-degree approach to workplace experience, encompassing lighting, acoustics, nutrition, and biophilic design, all contributing to what the organization calls the "Sanofi feeling".

The building meets the WELL Building Standard, one of the world's most rigorous certifications for health and wellbeing in buildings. The strategy begins with high-performance ventilation systems and industrial-grade filtration designed to remove fine particulates. All furniture carries Greenguard certification, ensuring low emissions of volatile organic compounds.

Real-time sensors monitor CO₂, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter levels, feeding data to facilities teams who adjust ventilation rates the moment readings drift from optimal ranges.

"Most companies think installing air conditioning solves air quality," says Ömer Döne, Sanofi's Global Head of Sustainable Workplace. "We monitor everything continuously and adjust in real time."

For Akella, the difference has been life-changing. Since joining Sanofi, he's experienced zero allergic reactions despite working across different floors as his department grew from 3 to 400 people.

"I've worked on every floor in this building, and they're all clean," he says. "I can't sneeze from dust allergies if there's no dust to trigger them."

A 2015 Harvard study found that employees in well-ventilated offices with low pollutant levels perform 61% better on cognitive function tests compared with those in average spaces.

"It's very easy to breathe in the Sanofi office compared to the roads," Akella observes. "When breathing is easier, it becomes much easier to stay calm and clear-minded."

Air quality investment has become a significant factor in Sanofi's explosive talent growth. Sangha Rathna, Program Manager in PMO-Research and Development, joined the hub just over a year ago when it housed around 700 employees. Today, that number has reached 3,500.

"As soon as you enter the Sanofi office, there's a pleasant feeling where you can breathe pure air," says Rathna. "Every aspect makes us look forward to coming to work every single day."

"After working with Sanofi, I don't think you'll find another workplace like this," reflects Rathna. "I can definitely say that Sanofi Hyderabad hub is the best workplace in India right now."

A global commitment to workplace excellence

The Hyderabad hub represents Sanofi's broader global commitment to transforming workplace experiences across all its offices worldwide. The company is investing in similar environmental quality initiatives across its global footprint, with significant projects underway in Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, and New Jersey. Each location adapts the core principles of the 360-degree workplace experience strategy to local environmental challenges.

As Kulkarni settles into her workstation each morning, surrounded by monstera plants and breathing air that allows her lungs to fill properly, she embodies what Sanofi has achieved. In a country where air pollution significantly impacts daily life for millions, Sanofi has demonstrated that comprehensive workplace wellness drives tangible business outcomes, a model the company is scaling globally.

For more information about Sanofi's commitment to workplace excellence and employee wellbeing initiatives globally, explore our workplace experience stories.

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