The third edition of the CII Sports Business Awards, held in 2025, arrived at a defining moment for Indian sport. With the National Sports Policy 2025 in place and India actively positioning itself as a serious contender to host the 2036 Olympic Games, the focus is steadily shifting from intent to execution.
Against this backdrop, the awards presented at the conclusion of the CII Scorecard 2025 conclave served a purpose far deeper than celebration. They identified the organizations, governments, franchises and individuals who are already building the sporting foundations India claims it wants.
What the awards made clear is that Indian sport’s future will not be shaped by a single model. Instead, it will rest on a convergence of strong state policy, stable corporate investment, private educational infrastructure and inclusive social vision. The 2025 winners collectively represented that convergence.
Infrastructure-first thinking: the KIIT benchmark
The award for Best Sports Facility went to KIIT and KISS in Odisha, institutions that have quietly built one of the most complete multi-sport campuses in the country. Their selection underlined a crucial reality often overlooked in Indian sport world-class athletes are built through long-term exposure to world-class environments, not ad-hoc facilities built for events.
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KIIT’s campus features international-standard venues across athletics, football, rugby, cricket and cycling, and has earned recognition as a nodal centre for global programmes run by FIFA and the International Volleyball Federation. What sets the model apart is integration. Sports infrastructure is not an accessory but part of the institution’s educational ecosystem, ensuring consistent usage, athlete development and financial sustainability.
As India looks toward Olympic-level preparedness, the KIIT-KISS model demonstrates how private educational institutions can play a central role in bridging the infrastructure gap without waiting for state or central funding cycles.
Tamil Nadu: policy translated into outcomes
Tamil Nadu’s recognition as the Best State Promoting Sports Development confirmed its emergence as one of India’s most systematically run sports ecosystems. Over the last few years, the state has expanded infrastructure aggressively, adding over 100 sports facilities since 2021 and developing district sports complexes across all 38 districts.
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What differentiates Tamil Nadu, however, is not scale alone but structure. Programmes such as “Sports for Every Panchayat” and the Chief Minister’s Trophy Games have pushed organised competition deeper into grassroots levels. This widened talent funnel has translated into tangible results, including strong medal hauls at national youth events. Equally significant has been the state’s commitment to para-sports. Tamil Nadu offers para-athletes equal incentives, specialist coaching support, residential facilities and assured employment under a designated quota. In doing so, it has moved inclusivity from rhetoric to framework.
Yet the award also highlighted a systemic contradiction in Indian sports governance. Despite consistent performance and detailed development plans, Tamil Nadu received only a small fraction of its proposed funding under central schemes for 2024–25. The mismatch between merit and allocation emerged as one of the most pressing concerns discussed alongside the awards, raising questions about the sustainability of high-performing state models.
Professional franchises and competitive stability
The Haryana Steelers, named Sports Franchise of the Year, symbolised what professional governance can achieve in Indian leagues. Owned and operated by JSW Sports, the Pro Kabaddi League franchise has benefited from continuity in ownership, investment in player development and a data-driven performance culture.
From reaching the playoffs in their debut season to winning the PKL title in Season 11, the Steelers’ upward curve reflects the advantages of corporate-backed stability. In a sporting landscape where several franchises fluctuate due to inconsistent ownership or short-term thinking, Haryana Steelers stand out as evidence that Indian leagues can be both commercially viable and competitively credible.
As India increasingly relies on domestic leagues to develop elite talent, franchises run on these principles become critical components of the national athlete pipeline.
Social impact and inclusive growth
Beyond competitive success, the awards also recognised the growing role of sport in social change. Mahindra Rise’s Project Nanhi Kali received recognition for its ‘Lessons from a Football’ campaign, which used sport as a medium to support girl child education. Rather than positioning football merely as participation, the initiative linked learning outcomes to engagement, helping bridge access gaps in education and digital literacy.
Similarly, Indian sportswear brand Shiv Naresh was recognised for its strategic investment in para-sports. By aligning with the World Para Athletics Championships 2025, the brand demonstrated that inclusivity is not only socially responsible but commercially relevant. For an Indian company long embedded in domestic sport, the move represents a shift towards global brand ambition anchored in purpose-driven partnerships.
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Bhubaneswar’s recognition as an emerging sports city reinforced the importance of coordinated urban planning. Over the last decade, Odisha’s capital has evolved into a reliable international host city, with integrated infrastructure, efficient event operations and strong government backing. The award acknowledged not just facilities, but governance the often invisible ingredient that determines whether infrastructure delivers returns.
Closely aligned was the recognition of the Government of Odisha for excellence in sports infrastructure development. State-led investment in hockey, athletics and multi-sport venues has positioned Odisha as a case study in how long-term planning can transform regional sporting identity.
Taken together, the CII Sports Business Awards 2025 underlined a clear message: Indian sport already possesses working models across infrastructure, governance, inclusivity and professional management. The challenge now lies in replication and alignment. Central funding mechanisms, state execution, private capital and educational institutions must operate in sync if India hopes to convert ambition into Olympic-level performance by 2036.
The awards did not merely identify success stories they mapped out a playbook. Whether policymakers choose to follow it will define the next decade of Indian sport.
CII Sports Business Awards 2025: Summary of Award Winners
- Best Sports Facility: Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) & KISS, Odisha
- Best State Promoting Sports Development: Tamil Nadu
- Sports Franchise of the Year: Haryana Steelers (Pro Kabaddi League)
- Organisation Supporting Para Sports in India: Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority
- Sports Brand of the Year: Shiv Naresh
- Best Sports CSR Initiative: Mahindra Rise – Project Nanhi Kali
- Legacy of Excellence in Sports Patronage: Dr Achyuta Samanta (Founder, KIIT & KISS)
- Best Emerging Sports City: Bhubaneswar, Odisha
- Excellence in Sports Infrastructure Development: Government of Odisha
- University Sports Program/Course of the Year: Jio Institute
- School Sports Program of the Year: The Sports School, Bengaluru
- Athlete Entrepreneur of the Year: Sheru Angrish, Founder, Sheru Classic
- Sports Entrepreneur of the Year: Siddhant Agarwal, Founder, Sportvot
- Sports Federation of the Year: Paralympic Committee of India
- Best Organisation Supporting Para Sports: GoSports Foundation
- Sports Business Leader of the Year (Male): Manoj Badale, Lead Owner, Rajasthan Royals
- Sports Business Leader of the Year (Female): Preeti Jhangiani, Founder, Pro Panja League
