Mumbai - K J Somaiya Institute of Management (KJSIM), in collaboration with Loughborough University, UK, organised a multi-stakeholder dialogue focused on the development of women’s football in India. The event brought together leaders from governance, academia, media, technology, and international football organisations to discuss the structural, financial, and social challenges impacting the sport’s growth.
Speaking on the importance of sports management, education, Manjari Srivastava, Associate Dean -Academic Programmes at K.J Somaiya Institute of Management highlighted the real world impact of an MBA in sports management. She emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among educators, researchers and industry leaders to drive sustainable progress. She noted that students are the future of indian sport and that education, research and industry partnerships must work together to support long term ecosystem growth.
The dialogue drew insights from FIFA-supported research conducted by Vidya Panicker, Associate Professor – International Business, and Aravind Reghunathan, Assistant Professor – Institute for Sport Business, both from Loughborough University. Based on interviews with 33 ecosystem stakeholders, the research highlighted fragile funding structures, limited institutional continuity, and persistent social barriers as key challenges facing women’s football in India. The UK Women’s Super League was cited as a benchmark for how structured club models, stable sponsorship, and strong governance can drive sustainable growth.
Representing the federation’s perspective, Nildeep Mondal, Chief of Strategy and Operations at the All India Football Federation, spoke about challenges related to player development and grassroots expansion. He stressed that access to sport is often shaped by family and community support, making local ecosystems crucial to a young player’s journey.
The session also examined CSR funding model's performance analysis and the role of technology and the data in improving decision making , particularly for clubs operating with limited resources. Discussions further highlighted how media storytelling and digital platforms can enhance visibility, attract sponsors and build stronger men engagement with fans.
For students, the event offered valuable exposure to apply research federation leadership, international club models and analytics practices and media strategy-opening pathways for live projects, internships , mentorships and future research.
Dialogue concluded with a strong message that women's football in India must be approached as a long-term ecosystem project with sustainable growth dependent on alligned governance , smart funding, data driven decision-making media engagement and community-rooted clubs rather than isolated efforts.
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