India’s sports and media ecosystem is entering a new phase of explosive growth powered by fandom, technology, and inclusivity, JioStar CEO, Sports, Ishan Chatterjee, has asserted.
Chatterjee, who was speaking during a fireside chat with former cricketer Dinesh Karthik on Wednesday at FICCI FRAMES 2025, highlighted the immense growth potential of India’s sports economy, citing a Deloitte study projecting expansion from $30 billion to $70 billion by 2030.
“To put that in perspective, Brazil stands at $6 to 8 billion, and the UK, one of the most advanced markets, is at about $40 billion. We are truly at an inflection point,” Chatterjee said.
“The next five to ten years are going to be crazy for the sports economy,” he said, adding that while men’s cricket continues to anchor the industry, the rise of other sports — from kabaddi and football to esports — represents India’s next big leap.
“The big trend that we are betting on is the rise of other sports in India. Whether those are established sports like tennis, football, and kabaddi, or even newer ones like e-sports, that’s where we expect exponential growth. And it’s not just because we want it to happen, as soon as Indian athletes start delivering world-class results, we see fandom accelerate. Just look at what Neeraj Chopra did for javelin.”
Tech revolution
Speaking on JioStar’s vision and role of technology, Chatterjee noted: “India has always been at the cutting edge of tech adoption. At JioStar, we are led by consumer behaviour and our vision for sports viewing is a completely personalized one-to-one feed. Two people can watch the same match, but the experience, camera angles, commentary, interactive features will be entirely different for each.”
He highlighted that India’s “rapid adoption of new technology is reshaping the way sports are experienced”. He pointed out that innovations such as multi-cam viewing, vertical formats, and AI-driven smart highlights are already changing fan behavior, and this is only the beginning.
Platforms must drive inclusivity
Chatterjee also spotlighted the responsibility of platforms to drive inclusivity, particularly in women’s cricket: “The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is one of the biggest priorities for us to drive growth in women’s cricket. The league is already transforming the landscape for women’s sports. Our role as broadcasters is to give women’s cricket visibility, prime-time slots, and the right storytelling, so it inspires the next generation.”
He further added, “From a consumption standpoint, there’s a lot of headroom, from a business perspective it makes a lot of sense to work around it. More importantly, it’s very important for women’s cricket to grow for our sporting culture, overall as a nation, to become more representative and more inclusive.”
Citing a Deloitte study, Chatterjee noted, “India’s sports economy is set to grow from $30 billion to $70 billion between 2023 and 2030. To put that in perspective, Brazil stands at $6–8 billion and the UK, one of the most advanced markets, is at about $40 billion. We are truly at an inflection point.”
While talking about IPL, Chatterjee highlighted, “The great thing about the IPL is the scale it operates on. During the last season we lit up over 1.1 billion screens across TV and digital. To grow consumption, whether it’s more viewers, more matches per season, or more watch time per game, we have to appeal to different interests. For the core fan it’s about depth and stats, but for the casual viewer it may be entertainment, creators, or even an IP like Motu Patlu engaging with kids. That mix is what keeps the IPL ecosystem growing.”
Discussing the coexistence of cricket’s three formats, Chatterjee emphasised that while T20 drives commercial success, Test and ODI formats remain crucial for the sport’s depth and heritage.
