“Sports Versus Everything Else”: SPORTSCOM Conclave Charts India’s Roadmap to a Global Sporting Powerhouse

New Delhi, August 25: India's ambitions of becoming a global sporting powerhouse will require sustained collaboration between athletes, government, corporates, investors and the wider sports industry, emerged as a key theme at SPORTSCOM's Annual Session and the second edition of the Giving Wings to Dreams Conclave.

Held at Shangri-La Eros, the event brought together Olympians, policymakers, investors, manufacturers and other stakeholders to discuss the country's evolving sports ecosystem and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Sathiyan Calls for Stronger Support System

Olympian and Arjuna Award-winning table tennis player G. Sathiyan delivered the keynote address, highlighting the importance of creating a robust support system around athletes.

"It's not just about athletes. For athletes to perform in the arena, you need a whole lot of people coming together. Athletes showcase talent, but they perform only when there is immense support from corporates and the government," Sathiyan said.

Reflecting on his journey in sport since the age of five, Sathiyan said the perception of sport has changed significantly, with athletics increasingly being viewed as a viable career and an economic opportunity.

He also stressed the importance of taking sporting success to the grassroots. "When parents start seeing Olympians and Asian Games medalists close to home, they will believe their children can reach the next level. India can truly become a sporting powerhouse," he added.

Government Outlines Policy Roadmap

The conclave also featured discussions on India's broader sporting policy framework. Hari Ranjan Rao, Secretary, Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, outlined several upcoming initiatives, including the National Sports Policy, National Sports Governance Act, National Sports Board and National Sports Tribunal.

He also spoke about the proposed Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme and underlined the importance of improving fan engagement as India looks to expand its sporting ecosystem.

Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary called for sport to be viewed beyond medals, highlighting its potential to generate employment, entrepreneurship and economic growth.

He emphasised the need to integrate sport with education and skilling, while pointing to opportunities in sports science, coaching, nutrition, event management, content, technology, manufacturing and entrepreneurship.

Focus on 2036 Olympic Bid & Grassroots Sport

Kunal, Joint Secretary at MYAS, reiterated the government's vision of using sport as a vehicle for economic growth and youth engagement.

He highlighted India's whole-of-government approach towards its bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games, while also stressing the promotion of indigenous sporting disciplines such as Kho-Kho, Yogasana and Mallakhamb. The government's "Everyone Plays" initiative was also highlighted as part of its grassroots push.

Investors Seek Sustainable Sports Startups

Investment opportunities and challenges facing sports startups were another major focus at the conclave.

During the panel discussion titled 'Inside the Investor's Mind: What Makes a Sports Startup Venture-Ready?', investors Chintan Thakkar, Mustafa Ghouse and Suhail Chandhok discussed the growing availability of domestic and international capital.

The panel, moderated by SPORTSTAR Editor Ayon Sengupta, highlighted the need for startups to demonstrate clear business models, proof of concept, scalability and a credible path to profitability before attracting significant investment.

Manufacturing Takes Centre Stage

Sports manufacturing emerged as another key theme, with industry stakeholders discussing India's potential to become a major global manufacturing hub.

At the session 'Building India's Global Sports Manufacturing Ecosystem', Sanjeet Singh, Senior Advisor at NITI Aayog, outlined five key priorities: cost, clusters, competitiveness, collaboration and communication. He also identified an ambition of taking India's sports goods exports to $8 billion by 2036.

Industry leaders Neeraj Jain of COSCO, P D Arya of Gem International, Shiv Prakash Singh of Shiv Naresh and Arjun Anand of Anandco Sporting highlighted challenges involving raw materials, logistics and power costs.

They called for dedicated manufacturing clusters, stronger international certification infrastructure and greater public-private coordination. Dr Shobhit Jain, Joint Secretary at MYAS, urged industry representatives to put forward specific and actionable policy recommendations.