Sponsorship for Indian Olympians surges by 2000% in a decade

Team India, preparing for the Paris Olympics, has secured approximately INR 50 crore in sponsorship revenue, doubling the figure (INR 24 crore to INR 28 crore) raised for the Tokyo Games in 2020.

This represents a remarkable 2,000 per cent increase from pre-Rio 2016 levels, as per a report by Financial Express.

Olympic medalists such as Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain, Manpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Manika Batra, and Manu Bhaker have significantly benefited from this surge. Major sponsors that have come on board are Reliance Foundation, JSW, Yes Bank, Ebco, Puma, Adani Sportsline, and Aditya Birla Capital.

Neerav Tomar, MD of IOS Sports and Entertainment, the official marketing agency for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), highlighted the substantial growth in talent endorsements.

"We have partnered with brands such as Domino’s, Adidas Global, Nike, Asics, RBL Bank, Amrutanjan, OnePlus, Red Bull, Bisleri, Britannia, Royal Enfield, Nothing Tech, Herbalife, Puma, and Evocus, among others," Tomar was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Reflecting on their collaboration with the IOA since 2016, Tomar noted the lack of a robust sponsorship mechanism. "Back then, the federation managed to secure only one or two sponsors, like Samsung or local sponsors such as ONGC and Amul, totalling around INR 2 crore to INR 2.5 crore," he explained.

By the Rio Olympics, this figure had increased to about INR 12 crore, marking a 500-600 per cent rise.

The trend continued with the Tokyo Olympics, where sponsorship revenue nearly doubled to approximately INR 24 crore-INR 28 crore.

The total association value, including brand activations, is expected to reach INR 200 crore to INR 250 crore. With such robust sponsorship and promotional activities, Team India’s journey to the Paris Olympics is not just a sporting endeavour but also a significant commercial enterprise.