National Sports Day 2025: Where India Stands on the Global Stage

When Neeraj Chopra's javelin soared through the Paris sky last summer, 1.4 billion Indians held their collective breath. As the silver medal was confirmed, it represented another chapter in India's sporting story. This moment captures where India stands now in global sports—we're no longer just happy to be there. We want to win.  

As we celebrate National Sports Day 2025, marking the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, it's time to examine where India truly stands in the global sporting arena.  

Are we finally moving beyond our cricket-obsessed identity? Is the nation ready to embrace a multi-sport culture? The answers reveal a country in the middle of a remarkable sporting shift. 

Beyond Cricket: India's Growing Sports Scene 

For decades, India’s sporting story was dominated by cricket. Olympic medals were rare, traditional games struggled for visibility, and most households could name every player in the national cricket team but not a single athlete in wrestling, chess, or hockey. 

Over the last decade, the sports event Pro Kabaddi League has transformed a rural pastime into one of the country’s most-watched sporting events. Kho-kho is stepping into professional arenas, and Kushti is reclaiming its place as a symbol of strength and tradition.  

In chess, prodigies like R Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh Dommaraju are carrying forward India’s rich legacy, winning on the world stage and inspiring millions. Meanwhile, with the Online Gaming Bill banning real money games, esports has the space to emerge as a powerful new category, creating professional gaming careers and redefining what “sport” means for an entire generation. 

India's sporting identity is shifting from a single-sport obsession to a diverse, multi-sport ecosystem, where homegrown traditions, global imports, and digital-first formats compete for fan loyalty. The transformation is clear: we're evolving from a cricket nation to a sporting nation. 

Policy Changes:

How NSP 2025 is Reshaping the Game

The National Sports Policy 2025 (NSP 2025), approved in July, marks a turning point in India’s sports governance. Unlike the earlier policies of 1984, 2001, and 2011 that functioned mainly as guidance documents, NSP 2025 carries legal authority—ensuring enforceability and accountability for states and federations. It lays out a focused plan built on five key pillars: 

• Developing athletes from grassroots to elite levels with better coaching, infrastructure, and scientific support 

• Promoting economic growth with sports entrepreneurship through platforms like Zupotsu and sports tourism 

• Expanding participation for women, differently-abled persons, and marginalized communities 

• Encouraging mass participation across rural and urban India 

• Integrating sports into school education aligned with the National Education Policy 2020  

While NSP 2025 outlines the policy framework and long-term vision, various government schemes work on the ground to implement these ideas. Some of them are-  

• Khelo India Programme: focuses on grassroots infrastructure and talent spotting 

• Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS): providing focused support for elite athletes 

• KIRTI Scheme:  recognizing and motivating athletes at state and national levels  

Supporting this collaborative effort, the government has allocated a record ₹3,794 crore to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in the 2025–26 budget. Of this amount, ₹2,191 crore is designated for Central Sector Schemes, with ₹1,000 crore allocated explicitly to the flagship Khelo India Programme, which drives grassroots sports development nationwide.

Strategic private partnerships amplify government efforts. Private companies are also stepping in, complementing public efforts and filling crucial gaps. Some of them include: 

• JSW Sports Excellence provides top-tier training, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and international competition opportunities, while sponsoring elite tournaments like landmark squash championships in Mumbai 

• We will see how it goes but Dream11 Foundation runs comprehensive athlete development through grassroots programmes, including partnerships with Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation to mentor young boxers   
  

  

  
  

• HCL's 'Sports for Change' targets underprivileged children with training, equipment, and competition access 

This synergy between government policy and private investment creates a robust ecosystem driving India's sporting revolution from boardrooms to playing fields. 

Brand Power: Marketing in India's Sports Growth

 

As India’s sports ecosystem diversifies beyond cricket, brands are no longer just passive sponsors; they are active partners shaping the trajectory of Indian sports. 

Moving beyond cricket and IPL market—where 300+ brands compete for attention—smart marketers are discovering better opportunities in emerging Indian sports. Government regulation and support have created an environment where brands can achieve greater impact and better returns by investing in non-cricket sports. Here are standout campaigns from the past year that demonstrate this shift: 

World Pickleball League: The "American-Import, Desi-Twist" Play 

India's first-ever franchise-based pickleball league launched in January 2025, landing primetime TV coverage through Sony Sports Network on Sony Sports Ten 2 and streaming on FanCode. Conceptualized by former Indian tennis stars Gaurav Natekar and Arati Ponnappa Natekar, the tournament positioned a rapidly growing global sport within India's franchise-friendly ecosystem, featuring 60 players across team-based format with matches at Mumbai's iconic Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium). 

Why it matters: It demonstrated how brands can capture early-mover advantage in America's fastest-growing sport before it explodes in India—securing premium broadcast real estate and association with an aspirational, urban demographic at pre-boom pricing. With pickleball's explosive growth trajectory and crossover appeal to tennis/badminton audiences, sponsors get ground-floor positioning in a sport primed for mainstream adoption. 

Pro Kabaddi League (Season 11): Performance Media that Converts 

In the latest season of the Pro Kabaddi League, a set of measurable case studies emerged. Freemans, a measurement tools brand, used PKL (CTV, mid-rolls, targeted video) to lift consideration among core trade geos. Perhaps more interestingly, Hockey India League promoted its own property using PKL mid-rolls, cross-selling a non-cricket league to PKL’s mass Hindi/regional audiences. 

Why it matters: PKL proved it can drive tactical outcomes (not just logo slaps), and it works as a discovery funnel for other non-cricket leagues—evidence of a broader, sustainable sports graph. 

Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025: Athletics Built Around a National Icon 

The Athletics Federation of India-sanctioned meet headlined by Neeraj Chopra stitched together broadcast (Sports18/Viacom18), venue partners, and consumer brands, turning a single-day meet into a nationally marketed tent-pole. 

Why it matters: Athletics offers country-first narratives with clean, medal-led storytelling; brands get high affinity with far less clutter than cricket, plus legit federation backing and TV carriage. 

BGIS 2025 (Battlegrounds Mobile India Series) 

Realme became Official Smartphone Partner for BGIS 2025 and BMPS 2025, placing the GT 7 Pro as the tournament device. The series ran open/invite brackets, a ₹3.21 crore prize pool, and LAN finals in Kolkata, supported by additional sponsors like Monster Energy, giving the brand deep product trials, content integrations, and retail-adjacent hype. 

Why it matters: Esports delivers 18–34 urban audiences at scale with product-usage moments (devices, peripherals) that are hard to replicate elsewhere—ideal for measurable lift in consideration and sales.  

Key Takeaways for Marketers 

• Invest in emerging leagues: Direct budgets into pickleball, kabaddi, volleyball, and newer cricket formats where competition is lower, audiences are growing, and brand leadership can be established early. 

• Engage with digital-first sports: Support chess and esports to reach younger, tech-driven audiences while strengthening India’s presence in global mind and gaming sports. 

• Strengthen India’s multi-sport push: Invest in disciplines that expand India’s Olympic potential and keep traditional games relevant, ensuring balance between global success and cultural roots. 

• Champion women athletes: Back women’s cricket and athletics such as shot put to close the visibility gap and drive genuine inclusivity in sport. 

• Invest in grassroots & local sports: Build long-term trust by supporting indigenous games and community leagues, not just high-visibility events. Rexona's approach sets the benchmark for meaningful brand engagement that goes beyond logo placement. 

Brands as Catalysts in India’s Sporting Journey 

National Sports Day 2025 arrives at a pivotal moment. India’s sporting map now stretches beyond cricket to kabaddi, kho-kho, kushti, chess, esports, and hockey. NSP 2025 and Khelo India set the foundation, but progress depends on brands, players, and stakeholders investing in talent, small tournaments, and long-term growth. 

Instead of compelling with 300+ brands in the IPL, smart marketers can build greater impact by backing emerging sports—funding grassroots training, reviving traditional games, and giving new disciplines the visibility to thrive 

Zupotsu is proud to be a part of India’s sports ecosystem, enabling its growth by connecting brands with the right athletes, events, and fan communities. On this National Sports Day, the path forward is clear: a true sporting superpower will be built through the combined will of its athletes, policymakers, and the brands that believe in their journey. 

 Zupotsu is a martech platform on a mission to ‘digitize’ sports marketing. Zupotsu enables the discovery, engagement, and evaluation (the ‘DEE’ framework) for every sports and esports marketing asset. Please sign up at www.zupotsu.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Reach out at ‘marketing@zupotsu.com’ for any queries.