20 May 2026, Bengaluru – The NIMHANS Suicide Prevention, Research, Implementation Training and Engagement Centre (N-SPRITE) has announced the expansion of Project SURAKSHA, one of its flagship suicide prevention initiatives, to the entire Ramanagara district. This scale-up is made possible through a continued, public-private-academic collaboration between NIMHANS, the Government of Karnataka and Himalaya Wellness Company, Bengaluru. The announcement marks the official release of the three-year impact evaluation report for Project SURAKSHA, charting its evolution from a successful pilot in the Channapattana taluk to a district-wide model.
Launched in 2023, the Project SURAKSHA (SURveillance system to trAcK suicide and Self-HArm) was designed as a comprehensive community-based model aligning with India’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2022) and the World Health Organization’s LIVE LIFE framework. SURAKSHA is the first-ever sustained community-based suicide prevention program in India.
Operating as a pilot in the Channapattana taluk of Ramanagara district, the project successfully completed three years of operation across 32 panchayats in February 2026. Evidence from the pilot indicates that SURAKSHA can be model for suicide prevention in other Indian states as well as in other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). LMICs, including India, account for 73% of the suicide deaths reported globally. India alone accounts for about a quarter of the global numbers. Indian youth are particularly vulnerable, with suicide being the leading reason for death among those aged 15-29 years.
Following the success of SURAKSHA in Channapattana, the project is being expanded across all five taluks of the Ramanagara district. Additionally, Karnataka government has approved phase I implementation of the project in Bellary district. Karnataka is among the five states reporting the most suicides in India.
“The expansion of these projects is not merely a logistical milestone; it is a clinical necessity,” said Dr. Anish V Cherian, Principal Investigator of Project SURAKSHA, Lead–N-SPRITE, and Additional Professor at NIMHANS. “By moving from localized pilots to district-wide implementation, we are closing the gap between research and practice. We are deeply grateful to the Government of Karnataka and Himalaya Wellness Company for their continued trust in our vision.”
The pilot in Channapattana has successfully integrated surveillance, crisis intervention, lethal-means restriction, and community awareness.
The project began with the establishment of Community-Based Surveillance Teams (CBST) responsible for early identification, referral, and risk management of individuals vulnerable to suicide. CBSTs currently comprise 795 trained members, including panchayat leaders, healthcare workers, SHG members, and teachers, who have conducted 300 stakeholder visits reaching over 6,000 people.
Another key milestone of the project is the suicide gatekeeper trainings (aimed to equip trainees to identify and respond to suicidal individuals) facilitated for 4,185 frontline workers such as CBST members, police personnel, Anganwadi workers, PHC staff, fire and safety officers, and educators and students.
Through its awareness-building sessions, Project SURAKSHA has reached 14,294 students across schools and colleges.
The project also oversees self-harm registries across 69 health centers and hospitals, which enables the systematic reporting of suicide attempts in the community. Further, Brief Intervention of Self-Harm and Suicidality (BISS) protocols are deployed for immediate crisis support and a rigorous 24-month follow-up for all individuals identified through the registries. A total of 1,261 cases were recorded in the self-harm registries. Remarkably, no re-attempts have been reported among them after Project SURAKSHA intervention.
To encourage sensitive reporting of suicide in the media, the project team has engaged and trained media professionals and audited 38,850 local newspaper editions to advocate for the WHO Guidelines for Responsible Suicide Reporting.
Additionally, as of February 2026, over 1.7 lakh individuals in the taluk have been reached through the dissemination of IEC materials, which included details of the project’s helpline. As of February 2026, the helpline has received over 193 calls, of which 33 were crisis calls demanding immediate interventions.
Dr. Prabha S Chandra, Director, NIMHANS, said, “Suicide is a complex public health issue that cannot be solved within hospital walls alone. The success of Project SURAKSHA demonstrates that when you equip a community with the right tools, training, and surveillance frameworks, you save lives. NIMHANS is deeply committed to scaling this evidence-based, data-driven approach and transitioning it into a sustainable public health framework that fulfills national mental health mandates.”
Dr. Rajani Parthasarathy, Deputy Director, Mental Health, Department of Health & Family Welfare,Government of Karnataka, said, “The Project SURAKSHA initiative is an example of public health solutions rooted in the community. It proves that our local governance structures, in collaboration with frontline workers and members of the community, can be effective vehicles for social change.”
Mr. K G Umesh, Director–Human Resources, Himalaya Wellness Company, said, “At Himalaya, we strongly believe that mental health support must begin within communities and reach people before a crisis escalates. Our partnership with NIMHANS and the Government of Karnataka through Project SURAKSHA reflects our commitment to build sustainable, grassroots-led suicide prevention systems that are driven by awareness, empathy, and timely intervention. Over the past three years, we have seen how empowering ASHA workers, teachers, local leaders, and frontline stakeholders can create a stronger safety net for vulnerable individuals and families. The expansion of Project SURAKSHA across the Ramanagara district is an important step towards making mental health support more accessible, proactive, and community owned. We are proud to support an initiative that is not only saving lives today, but also creating a long-term framework for mental health awareness and suicide prevention in India.”
In the next phase project expansion to the entire Ramanagara district, specialized support services will be introduced, where trained mental health professionals will conduct home visits to offer psychological first aid and grief psychoeducation to bereaved families.
To guarantee long-term operational sustainability, Project SURAKSHA is also adopting a “train-and-transfer” approach: identifying and mentoring local NGOs to co-deliver the program alongside the project team, ensuring mental health infrastructure remains embedded within the district’s mental health landscape.
The official report release, data presentation, and launch of the expansion framework will take place on 20 May 2026 at 9:30 am, at Hall B, NIMHANS Convention Centre, Bengaluru.