Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai Sets Guinness World Records with 61,221 CPR Pledges
Sometimes, being prepared to help someone in an emergency begins with something as simple as knowing what to do.
That idea took centre stage in Navi Mumbai as Apollo Hospitals brought together more than 61,000 people through its ‘My Hands Are Ready’ CPR Pledge Movement, creating a remarkable community-wide push towards emergency preparedness — and earning a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title along the way.
Conducted between 8 July and 7 August 2026, the month-long initiative began with a straightforward question: Is Navi Mumbai ready to save a life?
The original goal was to get 50,000 people to pledge that they would learn CPR. By the end of the campaign, 61,221 people had made the pledge, taking the movement well beyond its target.
The campaign brought together people across more than 120 institutions, including schools, colleges, workplaces and community organisations. Students, teachers, healthcare professionals, employees, families and community members became part of an initiative that placed the focus not just on awareness, but on being prepared to respond when an emergency happens.
From a CPR Pledge to a Guinness World Records Title
The campaign culminated in a special event where GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ officially recognised Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai for ‘Most pledges received to learn CPR in one month’.
The occasion was attended by Dr Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, and actor Karisma Kapoor, as the initiative reached its record-setting milestone.
For Apollo Hospitals, however, the record is intended to be only one part of the larger conversation.
Dr Preetha Reddy described the 61,000-plus pledges as a reflection of Navi Mumbai coming together around a shared purpose, while positioning ‘My Hands Are Ready’ as a movement that can encourage more people across India to acquire life-saving knowledge.
And that message is particularly relevant when we consider what can happen in the critical minutes before professional medical help arrives.
According to figures cited by Apollo Hospitals, an estimated more than 700,000 people die from sudden cardiac arrest in India each year, while studies indicate that only a small percentage of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases receive bystander CPR.
That makes CPR awareness more than a healthcare conversation. It is also about everyday preparedness — at home, at work, in schools, in public spaces and anywhere people gather.
Why Knowing CPR Matters Beyond the Hospital
When a cardiac emergency happens, the first person at the scene may be a family member, friend, colleague, teacher or complete stranger rather than a medical professional.
Dr Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, described the 61,000-plus pledges as a reflection of the extraordinary power of a community united by a shared purpose. She said ‘My Hands Are Ready’ is intended to take that spirit beyond Navi Mumbai, placing life-saving knowledge in the hands of ordinary citizens across India.
Dr Nitin Jagasia, Regional Director – Emergency, Western Region, Apollo Hospitals, points to this crucial window between the emergency occurring and professional help arriving. Recognising a cardiac emergency and beginning CPR can be an important first response during those early moments.
That is the thinking behind ‘My Hands Are Ready’ — encouraging ordinary people to take the first step towards learning a basic but potentially life-saving skill.
For Arunesh Punetha, Regional CEO – Western Region, Apollo Hospitals, the ambition is to take the movement beyond Navi Mumbai and encourage more people across India to become comfortable with responding when another person’s life may depend on immediate action.
And perhaps that is the most relatable part of the campaign.
Our hands are already instinctively used to care, comfort, help and protect. The idea is simply to equip them with the knowledge to respond when something more serious happens.
As World Heart Day 2026 approaches under the theme ‘United for Every Heartbeat’, Navi Mumbai’s 61,221 CPR pledges offer a timely reminder that being prepared to help doesn’t have to begin with being a medical professional.
Sometimes, it begins with being willing to learn.
