The emergence of Inter Kashi FC has already altered the footballing map of India. Now, with the announcement of a ₹60 crore AFC-compliant stadium project in Varanasi, the club is taking a decisive step from being a travelling professional outfit to becoming a deeply rooted institutional force.
More than just a construction project, this stadium represents a structural shift in how professional football is envisioned in Uttar Pradesh, a state long absent from India’s top-tier football narrative .
Founded in June 2023, Inter Kashi was conceived as more than an I-League entrant. Backed by the RDB Group and chaired by Vinod Dugar, the club arrived with an international outlook, forged through strategic partnerships with Atlético Madrid, Inter Escaldes, and associations with FC Andorra. This European alignment was not cosmetic; it shaped the club’s technical direction, academy structure, and long-term planning.
That ambition translated quickly onto the pitch. After a solid debut season in the I-League, Inter Kashi’s 2024–25 campaign became historic, culminating in promotion to the Indian Super League following a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling that overturned the AIFF’s initial decision. The verdict crowned Inter Kashi I-League champions and fast-tracked them into India’s footballing elite.
Why a Stadium Became Non-Negotiable
Promotion, however, exposed a fundamental vulnerability: the lack of a permanent, compliant home ground in Uttar Pradesh. Inter Kashi’s early seasons were marked by logistical instability. The Ekana Stadium in Lucknow failed AIFF inspections, forcing the club to stage “home” matches in Kalyani (West Bengal) and later Guwahati.
This nomadic existence strained finances, diluted fan engagement, and undermined the club’s identity. For a side now competing in the ISL governed by strict AFC licensing norms a dedicated stadium was no longer optional. It was existential.
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The solution came through a landmark partnership with the C.M. Anglo Bengali (CMAB) Trust in Varanasi. Under this agreement, Inter Kashi will build a football-specific stadium on college-owned land, anchoring the club permanently in the city it represents. This collaboration is strategically significant. The CMAB campus offers a central, urban location, ensuring accessibility and crowd engagement. It also enables an integrated education–sport ecosystem, where students and academy players coexist with a professional club a rarity in Indian football infrastructure.
Financially, the model is efficient. By avoiding large-scale land acquisition, Inter Kashi can direct the bulk of its ₹60 crore investment into pitch quality, lighting, broadcast infrastructure, and player facilities, rather than real estate overheads.
To meet AFC Category 2/3 standards, the stadium must satisfy rigorous technical requirements. At its core is the field of play a natural or hybrid turf with advanced drainage to withstand North India’s monsoon conditions. The playing surface must meet international dimensions and maintenance benchmarks.
Lighting is another critical component. AFC regulations mandate minimum 1200 lux illumination, supported by full backup power to ensure uninterrupted night broadcasts. Media infrastructure including press boxes, commentary positions, and broadcast uplinks must meet international transmission standards. Equally important are athlete-centric facilities: modern dressing rooms, medical and recovery areas, and a certified doping control room. For spectators, the stadium must offer individual seating, accessibility features, and safe crowd management systems.
In short, this is not a municipal ground with cosmetic upgrades. It is a purpose-built professional football venue.
Fitting into Varanasi’s Sports Transformation
Inter Kashi’s stadium project aligns with a broader sports infrastructure boom in Varanasi. The city is already home to the upcoming ₹450 crore international cricket stadium at Ganjari and the redevelopment of the Sampurnanand Sports Stadium at Sigra.
While those projects are publicly funded and multi-sport in nature, Inter Kashi’s stadium stands apart as a privately financed, football-first facility. Its scale may be smaller, but its impact on football culture is potentially greater, providing year-round professional activity rather than episodic events.
Perhaps the most enduring value of the stadium lies in its connection to the club’s Atlético de Bharat Academy, already operational in Varanasi. With age-group teams competing nationally and residential training embedded alongside education, Inter Kashi is building a pipeline that Uttar Pradesh has historically lacked.
A permanent home ground completes that ecosystem. Young players can now aspire to progress from academy pitches to an ISL stadium without leaving the state a powerful tool for talent retention and regional pride. The vision is ambitious, but not without risks. Regulatory approvals in a city as dense and historically sensitive as Varanasi can be time-consuming. Climate considerations extreme heat and heavy rainfall demand high-quality engineering to protect both pitch and infrastructure.
Moreover, until the stadium is completed, Inter Kashi will continue to play “home” games away from home, a reality that tests fan loyalty and commercial momentum. Ultimately, Inter Kashi’s ₹60 crore stadium is more than a sporting asset. It is a statement of intent that professional football can thrive outside traditional strongholds, that private investment can build sustainable infrastructure, and that Uttar Pradesh can finally claim a seat at Indian football’s top table.
If executed as envisioned, this stadium will not just house matches. It will anchor a footballing identity for Varanasi and redefine what long-term commitment looks like in Indian club football.
