Telangana outlines Olympic Mission 2036 and major sports investment push at Sports Tech Podium 2025

During the Telangana Rising Global Summit on December 8–9, a major MoU is expected to be signed between Dubai Sports City and GMR Sports for a large-scale Sports City project in Telangana: Jayesh Ranjan revealed

The Sports Tech market is likely to touch 40 bn by 2030 from the current 1 billion in India, and it is growing much faster at 16% than the world average at 10%: Expert

Jayesh Ranjan unveiled Sports Accelerator Sprintx, designed to guide Sports with venture support, investment pathways and is supported by the Sports Authority of Telangana, among others

Hyderabad, December 6, 2025: Telangana has unveiled an ambitious Olympic dream—to ensure representation in every sport India competes in when the country hosts the 2036 Olympic Games, said Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, while speaking at Sports Tech Podium 2025 organised at T-Hub on Saturday.

“Our Olympic mission was clear right from the drafting of the Telangana Sports Policy. The goal is to produce athletes across all disciplines and ensure Telangana is present in every sport India participates in at the 2036 Olympics,” said Jayesh Ranjan.

Participating as Chief Guest in a panel discussion titled ‘Grassroots to Global: India’s Sports Tech Rise’, moderated by Karthik Yanamandra, the senior bureaucrat spoke about the State’s vision to build sports capability from the ground up.

The full-day conference brought together India’s fastest-growing sports innovation ecosystem—startups, investors, tech leaders, corporates, athletes, federations and policymakers.

The Sports Tech Podium platform is supported by the Government of Telangana, the Sports Authority of Telangana, leading venture funds, angel networks, universities, and national innovation institutions—strengthening Hyderabad’s emergence as India’s Sports Tech & Innovation Capital.

Startups and investors who participated included Centre Court Capital, LegaXy, Impetus Sports Capital, Hyderabad Angels, TDV Partners, Anthill Ventures, and SucSeed Innovation Fund.

“The Chief Minister himself is a sports enthusiast who has given Telangana's sports ecosystem unprecedented support. The policy includes everything needed to identify and grow new-age sports talent,” Jayesh noted.

He added that the Government intends to gradually move away from direct involvement in sports operations, encouraging private sector participation and industry-led growth. “We are even coming up with a dedicated Sports University,” he announced.

Jayesh further revealed that during the Telangana Rising Global Summit on December 8–9, a major MoU is expected to be signed between Dubai Sports City and GMR Sports for a large-scale Sports City project in Telangana.

360D Sports, an initiative of INVE Sports Venture LLP, has announced the launch of a dedicated Sports Accelerator Sprintx designed to guide Sports, wellness, and fitness startups with venture support, investment pathways, and scale-up strategies. Jayesh Ranjan unveiled the logo of the same. It is supported by Sports Authority of Telangana, Woxsen University, Hyderabad Angels and HNDRD.

Highlighting Hyderabad’s strengths, Jayesh said the city’s advanced ecosystem in Life Sciences, defence and aerospace, and Information Technology naturally positions it as a preferred destination for global sports investments. “Infrastructure defines industry growth—we already have a strong foundation to build on,” he stated.

Aditya Reddy, Co-Founder & CEO, Game Point, said the first wave of sports tech in India began at the grassroots level through digital booking platforms, accessible coaching and organised tournaments. “Now, deeper technology is integrating into performance, analytics and broadcasting—even small events get live coverage today,” he said.

Only about 10% of India’s population plays sports passively, and just 0.01% participates in serious competitive sports. Cricket continues to dominate as the country’s largest sport with an estimated 655-million fan base. But as sporting policies strengthen and India hosts global events—including the Commonwealth and Olympics—the base of serious players is expected to expand rapidly. Even if just 10% of passive players move into serious participation, the sports ecosystem will unlock a massive business opportunity, he explained. To put this into perspective, many Unicorns in India operate with customer bases of only 25 to 50 lakh. Compared to that, the untapped sports market presents one of the most promising investment opportunities today, he emphasised, said another panelist, Ratnakar Samavedam, CEO and Managing Partner of Hyderabad Angels.

In another discussion, it was observed that the global Sports Tech market, currently valued at USD 19 billion, is projected to reach USD 40 billion by 2030, growing at a 16% CAGR, far above the global average of 10%.