Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Chairs First CSR Round Table For Enhancing Sports Development In India

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In a groundbreaking initiative to propel India into the top ranks of global sports by 2036, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, the Honourable Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, convened the first-ever corporate round-table in New Delhi.

This unique gathering brought together over 40 leaders from the corporate world, all united in their mission to enhance India's sports infrastructure and talent cultivation. The event marked a significant step towards fostering Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), which is essential for achieving international sporting excellence.

Dr. Mandaviya's vision for India is not just about immediate gains; he is looking towards a future where India stands among the top five sporting nations by the year 2047, celebrating a century of independence. To realize this ambitious goal, he urged each corporate entity to specialize in nurturing one sport. This strategy is designed to ensure focused investment and the development of robust sporting infrastructure. By aligning Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) endeavours with sports development, companies can play a pivotal role in enhancing athlete branding and overall sports promotion.

"Each corporate entity should focus on a single sport to ensure dedicated attention and optimal resource allocation, while also enabling effective athlete branding to align with CSR investments and promotional activities," emphasized Dr. Mandaviya.

The corporate attendees shared their insights in an Open House session, expressing unanimous praise for the initiative's potential to transform India's sports landscape. Specifically, the concept of developing sports facilities in rural areas garnered significant attention. PK Sinha, Non-Executive Chairman of ICICI Bank, highlighted the critical need for sports infrastructure in India's vast rural expanse, underscoring the government's commitment to this cause.

"Development of sports in rural areas is the need of the hour. It is heartening to see that the Indian government and our honourable Sports Minister is fully committed to improve the sports infrastructure in distant villages. A lot of raw talent resides in more than 6 lakh Indian villages. They need to be nurtured and motivated to play sports. ICICI Bank will be very pleased to have a further dialogue with officials to do what best we can for rural sports," Sinha noted.

Furthermore, the discussion touched upon enhancing sports facilities within existing district-level schools and establishing Olympic Training Centres and sports academies. Dr Mandaviya encouraged corporates to actively participate in the funding and coaching of athletes under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme and to play a role in organizing national leagues in sports disciplines where such events are yet to be held.

Puneet Dalmia, MD of Dalmia Cement Bharat, shared his company's eagerness to develop District Level Sports Schools, recognizing the importance of engaging the youth in sports away from the distractions of digital devices.

"Being a father, I personally believe that engaging a young generation to play sports is of utmost importance with the kids spending almost 7-8 hours on mobile phones and tablets. If we want to produce a healthier and fitter generation, we have to penetrate into Tier 2/3 cities and towns, where sports is still not a priority. The Dalmia Group is present in 14 states and 27 cities and we would like to develop sports infrastructure at the district level," stated Mr. Dalmia.

The corporate sector also has the opportunity to become thematic partners for programs such as the Khelo India mission, Indigenous sports, para sports, and sports for women, in addition to establishing sports science centres and performance testing labs.

This collaborative effort between the government and the corporate sector is envisioned to not only enhance India's sporting infrastructure but also to uplift the nation's talent pool, paving the way for a brighter, more competitive future in the global sports arena.