Exciting changes are taking shape in India's sporting industry. The latest technology addition to this already bubbling genre is ‘E-sports’. Other than that, hybrid sports technology is also attracting youngsters and sports enthusiasts, involving AR and VR advancements into traditional sports. Not only this, Women's sports are now equally contributing to Indian sports, boosted by leagues such as the Women Premier League (WPL), Women Kabaddi League (WKL)  that have increased global representation of India. The grassroot tournaments like ‘Khelo India’ are nurturing young talent from rural areas, providing access to world-class facilities and equal opportunities.  

This Innopedia Season 3, let's explore the top trends that are shaping the future and building a strong foundation for Indian Sports arena:
 

1. E-sports, The Booming Sport in India: India is now one of the fastest-growing e-sports markets in the world. If statistics are to be believed, All India Game Developers Forum (AIGDF) recent survey indicates the gaming industry revenue is to be projected at $4.5 billion by 2025 and the overall e-gaming viewership is expected to cross 100 million alone in India, positioning the country as a significant player in the global gaming arena.

Also, most of the e-sports enthusiasts fall within the age bracket of 16-25 years, majorly from Tier-2 cities such as Ahmedabad, Kochi, Surat, and Rajkot amongst others. To make E-sports more real, the International Olympic Committee announced  the first ‘Olympic E-sport Games’ to be held in 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

2. Women Players in Sports: Women players are stealing the show in sports and have brought national and international recognition to India. Statistically, women athletes have contributed more than 40% of India's total medals tally with 41 medals across 25 Olympic Games. 

According to another statistics, the number of women football players registered in India increased by 138%, from 11,724 in June 2022 to 27,936 in March 2024.

Born with leadership qualities, not just in corporate world, but sports also now, these women are shining as achievers inspite of facing various challenges such as lack of infrastructure, societal expectations or unequal opportunities.

To name few sporting legends such as Karnam Malleswari - the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, Mary Kom - the six-time World Boxing Champion, Sakshi Malik - the first female wrestler to win an Olympic medal and not to forget, Manu Bhaker - the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal are internationally recognized victories that have made history for India in women's sports.

3. Khelo India Revolution: This is a Government of India (GOI) programme launched in 2017-18  by Sports Ministers Vijay Goel and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, under the leadership of Honourable PM Shri Narendra Modi for uplifting talent at the grassroot level and strengthening sports infrastructure for rural, tribal, differently abled players, and women players. 

This Khelo India tournament is played under four different categories –

Khelo India Youth Games - An annual athletic competition for school children aged 17 and college students aged 21.

Khelo India University Games - An annual multisport competition including participants from various universities with different sports disciplines.

Khelo India Winter Games - A national level multidisciplinary event for winter games.

Khelo India Para Games - A national level sporting event organised for disabled athletes into multiple sports.

 For training and development, GOI has established ‘Khelo India Centres’ across states to train young athletes and provide scholarships of ₹5 lakh per year for the same. Over 2,700 athletes have been benefitted under ‘Khelo India Talent Development’ program so far. This year ‘Khelo India Youth Games 2025’ will be held in Patna, with over 8500 athletes participating in this extravaganza.

4. Hybrid Sports Technology: This advanced technology is the blend of traditional sports and modern technological advancements with digital tools, sensors, or software to create new opportunities to train athletes, coaches. With latest advancements including VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) technology, and AI-driven analytics enhance athlete overall performance and provide in real-time updates making it more data-driven.

The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) recent report predicts that the sports technology sector in India will grow significantly from INR 26,700 crore in FY'24 to INR 49,500 crore by FY'29 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%.

The latest advancements in Hybrid Sports Technology include AI-driven fitness tracking devices, AR-enabled cricket coaching, and smart stadiums with hybrid pitch. Apart from these, an IOT based connected infrastructure for sports is also on the rise. Fans can now explore virtual dugouts, simulate match scenarios, and interact with holographic player avatars making experience more realistic.

Conclusion - 

India has experienced a tremendous transformation in the sports ecosystem over the last few decades. It is fuelled by a mixture of government initiatives that boost player encouragement in making their career in sports along with private sports advancements due to viewer enhancement. With an addition of sporting league involving private sector into multiple sporting events such as Indian Super League (ISL), Premier Badminton League (PBL), Indian Gaming League (IGL), Indian sports seems to be aiming for the stars. Needless to say, Indian sporting industry is reaching heights and making India proud.