Sports and Society Accelerator

𝑺𝑵𝑨𝑷𝑺𝑯𝑶𝑻𝑺: 📸 Day 2️⃣ of the 𝗥𝗖𝗕 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗯 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 kicked off with an exclusive workshop on India's journey to becoming a sporting superpower! 🔥 Here’s a sneak peek into the action, senior figures from India and the global sports community exchanging insights in a high-impact discussion! ✨🙌 #PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #RCBxLEADERS

We are one day away. The Sports and Society Accelerator is pleased to share the final agenda of the Indian Sports Summit 2025. As the Knowledge Partner, SSA has worked to bring the themes and speakers together, and we will look to capture these conversations, ideas, and build on the findings. Organised by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Leaders in Sport and held at the Padukone - Dravid Centre For Sports Excellence, the Summit will be a collection of Indian and international speakers shedding light on the business of sport, media, and the overall ecosystem in India. As India looks to become a sport-forward nation, representatives from the ecosystem including administrators, policymakers, executives, and athletes will come together for a two-day exploration that sets the pace for the future of a thriving industry. This event also builds upon the key themes set out in the recently released report Sports-Forward Nation, a collaboration between SSA and RCB. Working with stakeholders across the sports and physical activity (SAPA) ecosystem is a key part of our Mission 100 – which envisions an India with every child playing, and every Indian active. Nandan Kamath | Rajesh V Menon | Desh Gaurav Sekhri | Abhinav Shrivastava | Abhishek Anand | Sugandha Vats | Lokesh Kaza | Mridul Kataria

Today marks International Women’s Day. In India, over half of adult women are inactive, a figure projected to rise to two-thirds by the end of the decade. Leisure-time physical activity is limited, and 76% of adolescent girls (11-17 years) do not meet the World Health Organization’s recommended physical activity levels. Gender gaps in sports and physical activity (SAPA) are bridgeable with thoughtful interventions. In this year’s theme—For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.—SAPA plays a key role in advancing gender equity. Our State of Sports and Physical Activity Report highlights disparities in participation levels and types of activities while identifying key areas for intervention. Similarly, the Active Equity issue brief examines the barriers to lifelong SAPA participation and outlines opportunities to bridge the gender gap. Driving policy and infrastructure reforms, strengthening education and capacity building, and fostering multisectoral partnerships can create an inclusive and supportive ecosystem, ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls in SAPA. Ensuring equitable access and participation in SAPA is central to Mission 100, which envisions an India where every child is playing and every adult is active. Nandan Kamath | Desh Gaurav Sekhri | Abhishek Anand | Lokesh Kaza | Sugandha Vats | Mridul Kataria #IWD2025

Last month, the Sports and Society Accelerator hosted the second edition of the Sports and Society Dialogues. Held at the India Habitat Centre, the annual event brought together key stakeholders from central and state governments, multilaterals, SAPA practitioners, academics, and the private sector to chart the way forward for making SAPA a national priority. The Dialogues featured engaging discussions on integrating SAPA into cities, schools, colleges, and workplaces, followed by in-depth conversations on skilling, upskilling, and reskilling to broaden employment opportunities and strengthen SAPA’s role in India's economic growth. The event also marked the launch of our SAPA Centre. The Centre will serve as a hub for actionable research and policy engagement—enabling the wider ecosystem to be active participants in shaping India's SAPA landscape. We invite you to watch the video capturing key moments from the Dialogues, explore our latest work on building a more active India, and share your thoughts on how we can take SAPA forward as a true people’s movement. The Dialogues have become a key platform to discuss our progress towards our Mission 100 – which envisions an India with every child playing, and every Indian active by 2047. Dhanashri Brahme | Tahsin Zahid | Maulshree Kalothia | Meenu Venkateswaran | Ranajit Bhattacharyya Nandan Kamath | Desh Gaurav Sekhri | Abhinav Shrivastava | Abhishek Anand | Sugandha Vats | Lokesh Kaza | Mridul Kataria | Meraki Sport and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd

On February 23, 2025, the Sports and Society Accelerator, in collaboration with the Bangalore International Centre, co-hosted the event, ‘From Playground to Podium: Navigating Sports Parenting.’ The event featured a diverse panel of speakers, including first-time sports parents, former athletes, sports psychologists, educationists, and other experts. Across two engaging panel discussions, panelists shared firsthand experiences, highlighting how parents adapt their roles and support their young athletes over time, emphasizing the importance of growing alongside their children to foster a supportive environment and navigate key transitions in their sporting journey. Discussions also explored the challenges parents face in providing emotional, mental, and financial support at different stages. The event underscored the value of research, open conversations, and expert guidance in helping them develop a deeper understanding of how to best support their child. This event plays a key role in knowledge-building and community engagement, reinforcing the critical role of parents in shaping a child’s sporting journey. It also forms a crucial part of our Mission 100, which envisions an India where every child is playing, and every adult is active. Nisha Millet | Sanjana Kiran | Sunita Maheshwari | Tresa Francis | Sujith Somasundar | Meghana Narayan | Nakul Narayan | Lakshminarayan M | Arjun Kalyanpur | Nandan Kamath | Desh Gaurav Sekhri | | Abhishek Anand | Lokesh Kaza | Mridul Kataria | Sugandha Vats

🚨 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽: 𝗥𝗖𝗕 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗯 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🚀🔥 🗣 Mr. Amitabh Kant - G20 Sherpa, Government of India, Ex CEO of Niti Aayog. 🙌 Join us for the second edition of the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit, powered by Leaders, on March 1️⃣4️⃣-1️⃣5️⃣ in Bengaluru, as we discuss the future of Sports in India! 🎤 Head to Fan to Park, our ticketing and experience partner, to participate now! https://lnkd.in/ebGjvnuC 🔗 Knowledge Partner: Sports and Society Accelerator Venue Partner: Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence #PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #RCBxLEADERS

We introduce our first publication under the Sports and Society Accelerator’s (SSA) recently launched SAPA Centre, “Building Skills and Livelihoods through Sports and Physical Activity (SAPA)”. This introductory brief is a baseline for our long term roadmap to the potential for the SAPA sector to contribute to India's economic growth and livelihoods. It is a key thematic focus area of ours, and was launched at the Sports and Society Dialogues on February 7th, 2025. It has also been presented by us to the Union Minister of State (I/C) Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Mr. Jayant Chaudhary. The brief aims to understand the potential for SAPA to drive India’s economic development and social outcomes. It highlights how SAPA can contribute significantly to economic growth, increase productivity, and generate livelihoods, along with enhancing life skills and employability. The brief identifies pathways, maps the opportunities, and proposes an initial projection for the way ahead, as SSA works towards creating a comprehensive roadmap for India as a whole, and for individual states to prioritize and implement. We invite you to read through the brief, and share your thoughts in the comments below. The SAPA Centre is a milestone and the work under it will be a key contributor on our road to Mission 100 – which envisions an India with every child playing and every Indian active by 2047. Nandan Kamath | Desh Gaurav Sekhri | Abhishek Anand | Abhinav Shrivastava | Lokesh Kaza | Sugandha Vats | Mridul Kataria

The Sports and Society Accelerator is pleased to share that we are co-hosting an event titled ‘From Playground to Podium: Navigating Sports Parenting’ in collaboration with the Bangalore International Centre. This event is designed for parents seeking valuable insights and experiences to support their child’s sporting journey. Through engaging discussions, we will explore real-life experiences and expert insights on nurturing young athletes. 📅 Date: February 23, 2025, Sunday 🕰 Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM IST 📍 Location: Bangalore International Centre The event will feature two panel discussions with expert speakers, moderated by our co-founder, Nandan Kamath: - Sujith Somasundar, Former Cricketer & Life Coach - Nisha Millet, Program Director, Nisha Millet’s Swimming Academy  - Sanjana Kiran, High-Performance Advisor & Sports Educator - Sunita Maheshwari, Pediatric Cardiologist - Raji Narayan, President, Art Mantram - Tresa Francis, Restaurateur We invite you to register for this discussion on building a more active and healthy future for everyone at this link, as seating is limited. https://lnkd.in/gjAS9vUB    This event plays a key role in knowledge-building and community engagement and forms a crucial part of our Mission 100, which envisions an India where every child is playing, and every adult is active. Nandan Kamath | Desh Gaurav Sekhri | Meghana Narayan | Nakul Narayan | Lakshminarayan M | Arjun Kalyanpur | Abhishek Anand | Lokesh Kaza | Mridul Kataria | Sugandha Vats

Last week, we launched Sports-Forward Nation, a report in collaboration with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The report explores the Indian sports ecosystem and outlines four key pillars of growth: commerce, technology, performance, and social impact. These pillars set the foundation for a 10-step roadmap to unlock the power of sport for nation-building. We invite you to watch the video which walks us through the report and sets the stage for what is ahead. We are also pleased to share that we will be taking many of these conversations forward as the Knowledge Partners of the Indian Sports Summit 2025, being brought to you by RCB Innovation Lab and powered by Leaders in Sport, on 14-15 March. Bringing the sports ecosystem together is a key part of our Mission 100, which envisions an India where every child plays, and every Indian is active by 2047. Nandan Kamath | Rajesh V Menon | Desh Gaurav Sekhri | Mridul Kataria | Lokesh Kaza | Mansi Misra | Jemimah M. | Ananya Sivadas | Kanishka Bhattacharya | Ayan Sulaiman | Abhishek Anand | Sugandha Vats

On 07 February the Sports and Society Accelerator completed three years. We marked the occasion with the second edition of the Sports and Society Dialogues. The event was attended by key stakeholders from the central government, state governments, multilaterals, sports and physical activity (SAPA) practitioners, academics, and the private sector. The event consisted of key conversations on the way forward for embedding SAPA in daily life in cities, schools, colleges, and workplaces; followed by in-depth discussions around using this as a springboard and utilizing its endless potential in skilling, upskilling, and reskilling – with the aim to broaden the skill and employment base and make SAPA a key contributor to the growing Indian economy. The three years also marked the launch of SSA’s SAPA Centre in the presence of our Board of Advisors. The Centre will be our hub for actionable research and engaging with policymakers across the country – enabling the wider ecosystem to be participants. We would like to thank everyone who joined us through the course of the event, and we invite you to stay tuned for more updates on the SAPA Centre and our key projects with partners moving forward. We would like to thank Magic Bus India Foundation for co-hosting the session around SAPA and skilling. The Dialogues provided a platform to discuss our progress towards our Mission 100 – which envisions an India with every child playing, and every Indian active by 2047. Rukmini Banerji | Dr. Sekhar B. | Joy Bhattacharjya | #ShardaUgra | Nandan Kamath | Desh Gaurav Sekhri | Abhinav Shrivastava | Abhishek Anand | Sugandha Vats | Lokesh Kaza | Mridul Kataria Anantapur Sports Academy | Pro Sport Development | Mondelēz International | UNESCO India | Laureus | The World Bank | ASER Centre | Pratham Education Foundation | SporTech Innovation Lab Pvt Ltd | Sportz Village | The Takshashila Institution | Piramal Foundation | Wholsum Foods (Slurrp Farm and Millé) | International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA) | Dani Sports Foundation | Sports, Physical Education, Fitness and Leisure Skills Council | Life Skills Collaborative | Accelerate Indian Philanthropy (AIP)