India’s sporting ambitions are gradually finding a stronger place beyond cricket and medal counts, with the focus now shifting towards building a stronger sports culture through grassroots participation, training infrastructure and long-term support for athletes. More attention is also being given to Olympic sports, women athletes and school-level sport, making this a crucial phase for the country’s sporting future.
But can stronger policies, investment and governance help India build a more sustainable sports ecosystem?
“If sports are not doing well in this country, the primary culprits are the sports federations,” said Col Nachhatar Singh Johal, CEO, Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Sports Authority of India. Elaborating on the challenges, he stressed that athlete development cannot rely solely on individual talent, but requires efficient governance, transparent systems, decision-making and structured support mechanisms to help athletes progress from grassroots levels to international competition.
These issues were discussed at Symposium, Hyderabad’s emerging platform for ideas and leadership, which hosted its second flagship session, Beyond the Game: The Business of Athletic Excellence, bringing together voices from sport, public policy, administration, media and industry for an evening of discussion and exchange on the future of India’s sporting ecosystem.
Sharing insights from his journey in elite sport and high-performance systems, Abhinav Bindra, India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist in shooting, said sport teaches lessons beyond medals and victories. “Sports have taught me how to respect myself,” he noted, highlighting the role of sport in building discipline, resilience and personal growth.
Encouraging wider participation, particularly among children and rural youth, he stressed the need to strengthen sports at the grassroots level. “The next decade will be the decade of sports. We must build sport from the grassroots. Ever since shooting began being introduced at the school level, more young people have started taking up the sport. Significant investments are now being made in sports infrastructure and athlete development,” Abhinav added.
Meanwhile, actress, presenter and sports advocate Mandira Bedi highlighted the rise of women’s sport in India, noting how audience engagement has evolved from sparse stadium attendance to stronger national and global viewership. She credited media visibility and major sporting events for creating greater recognition, aspiration and participation for women athletes across the country.
Highlighting Telangana’s approach towards sports development, Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary for Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture, stressed the importance of allowing experts to lead athlete training, talent identification and career planning, while governments focus on enabling infrastructure and long-term support systems. He also noted that India’s sporting landscape is evolving with greater participation across disciplines, gender and access, making institutional support critical for sustaining this progress.
In a key announcement during the session, Jayesh Ranjan revealed that the first honorary doctorate of the proposed Telangana Sports University would be conferred on Abhinav Bindra at the university’s inaugural convocation.
IPL franchise valuations have grown from nearly Rs 400–500 crore in 2008 to over Rs 15,000 crore today, reflecting the rapid expansion of India’s sports economy, said Girish Mallpani, Founder of Symposium and CMD of MPM Group. He noted that the sports ecosystem now creates value not only for athletes, but also for coaches, broadcasters, institutions, investors, sponsors and the wider economy.
With discussions spanning athlete development, governance, infrastructure, private investment and the need for stronger institutional systems, stakeholders highlighted the growing focus on building a more structured and sustainable sports ecosystem in India.
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