Leveling the playing field: How corporates are building India’s sports future

India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics is more than a national aspiration—it’s a test of how deeply the country is willing to invest in its sporting foundation. Beyond the stadiums and scoreboards, a quiet but powerful shift is taking place. Corporate India, once a passive donor in the sporting world, is now emerging as an active partner, building the country’s future in sports from the ground up. Neel Shah, CEO of Dream Sports Foundation, has witnessed this transformation firsthand. “Corporate involvement in sports has moved from basic philanthropy to a strategic and structured methodology,” he said in an exclusive interview to WION.

“It’s no longer just CSR—companies are now developing athlete-focused programs with long-term vision.”

The change is visible across India’s sporting ecosystem. From organising grassroots competitions to investing in performance tech, private players are helping plug critical gaps left by underfunded federations and overburdened institutions. Take Dream Sports Foundation’s own efforts as an example.

Through the Dream Sports Championships in football and table tennis, they’ve created a pathway for young athletes to transition from grassroots to elite levels, aligned closely with National Sports Federations (NSFs). It’s not a stand-alone effort but part of a larger movement. As Shah puts it, “The key word is alignment. We need backward and forward linkages rather than working in silos.”

In a country where NSFs often focus on elite athletes and international medals, grassroots development tends to be neglected. That’s where corporate partnerships are proving to be game-changers—both in reach and in impact. Companies are bringing professional management, long-term strategy, and even regional focus to build sustainable sports programs that can uncover and nurture local talent.

The impact goes beyond training grounds. Technology, often driven by corporate investments, is now deeply integrated into India’s sporting journey. “There’s a huge gap in athlete data capture and performance tracking,” Shah says. “With the right tech, we can build effective athlete profiling, enable better coaching, and even enhance fan engagement.”

From AI-driven analytics to virtual fan experiences, tech is helping sports not only grow but also monetise. This opens up new revenue models and deepens spectator involvement, something India’s sports culture has historically lacked outside of cricket. None of this happens in isolation. The government’s initiatives—like Khelo India and TOPS—have laid a strong foundation for talent identification and Olympic preparation. But Shah is clear: public-private partnerships will be crucial to scale these programs.

While the government brings infrastructure and institutional know-how, the private sector brings innovation, agility, and professionalism. The recent push to launch leagues across multiple sports signals a shift in mindset—from occasional success stories to building a holistic sports culture.

“We’re at a juncture of alignment,” Shah says. “With government, corporates, and federations working together, we have a real opportunity to change the way sports are seen and supported in India.”

As India inches closer to its Olympic ambitions, the athletes we celebrate tomorrow may owe their rise not just to coaches and federations—but to a silent but powerful force working behind the scenes: corporate India, finally playing for the long game.