How the sports job market in India was affected in the pandemic and how is it projected to grow?

Globally, sports is recognised as one of the biggest industries in terms of revenue and employment. The business is a million-dollar affair propelled by engaging customer demands. India plays a key role in this revenue system.

The Indian sports sector has experienced a sea of changes with all-round developments initiated by the government, the private sector as well as non- profit organisations. Private sector and non-profit entities are also increasingly contributing to the sector by organizing leagues and tournaments, funding talented sportspersons and getting involved in grassroots development. Boosted by initiatives such as professional leagues of developed sports, commercialization of underdeveloped sports, the professionalisation of heritage sports and increased corporate sector investments, the sports industry expects faster growth in a shorter time frame.

A study instituted by Sporjo and conducted by KPMG, which is yet to be released, states that the sports industry has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 14% over FY16-20. This is 1.4 times the overall Indian TV industry. The growth indicates that there will be an increase in the number of required skilled personnel.

Sporjo is a one-stop-shop for sports careers in India with tie-ups with leading universities, along with the ease and accessibility of their services. In a conversation with The Bridge, G Srinivasan, CEO of Sporjo, said, "Right now there are close to about 25,000 jobs in this industry, which ranges between the professional and the amateur segment. And this I am saying, without including the vast opportunities in the Esports segment."

The Indian sports Industry features over 50 types of job roles across over 20 verticals, including Operations, Sales, Digital Marketing, Analytics, finance among others. While it cannot be denied that the ongoing coronavirus crisis has hampered sports jobs in India to a great extent, a silver lining can be seen with more markets opening for sports in the future. "Due to the pandemic, many sports events came to a halt which created a setback in the sports market. A lot of events were happening in closed doors, as a result, there were no spectators. Fan engagement at venues was significantly less but it emerged on the digital and television front. While operational individuals at the venue decreased, the number of individuals in digital space increased at the same time. We could see a lot of alternate options coming up at this point of time," said Srinivvasan.

He adds, "The sports job industry is, however, marked for a multifold growth in the coming days. For example, the entire gaming and esports market is projected to offer 40,000 jobs by 2022. Three years ago, people were barely participating in fantasy sports leagues, but if you see now, hundreds of fantasy leagues have come up. Jobs in this segment is projected to grow by seven to eight percent in this year. Besides, new sectors and categories are projected to take over the Indian sports market, will further boost employment."

Sporjo is at the forefront of the mission to bring more people in the sports industry. The aim must be to build an ecosystem of more than half a million job-prepared specialists in India by 2030. With the transition of time, millennials are realising the huge potential of the sports market. The company is catering to those who aspire to be a part of the sports market but doesn't know what are the jobs available. Sporjo conducts webinars with premier institutes of the country almost every day. It is a one-of-a-kind organisation, which addresses, mentors and guides people and find them jobs most suitable to them in the sports market.

Also read: What are the different types of sports jobs in India