A SIGNIFICANT STEP towards strengthening the sports economy has been taken in Mumbai with the official formation of the Sports Business Development Wing by the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA).
MACCIA has launched the initiative to give sports a formal industrial identity and position it as a key contributor to the state’s economic growth. The newly formed wing aims to create new avenues for employment generation, investment opportunities and global engagement within the sports sector. The Sports Business Development Committee was announced on 4 March by MACCIA president Ravindra Mangave.
The Sports Business Development Committee has been constituted as follows:
* Chairman – Sunil Walawalkar
* Co-chairman – Mandar Vaidya
* Members – Kshitij Vedak, Balasaheb (Bal) Toraskar, Vipul Solanki, Vaishali Bhide-Barve, Poulomi Kundu.
In addition, Mangave and MACCIA vice president Karunakar Shetty will guide the committee as ex-officio members.
The newly established Sports Business Development Wing will work towards transforming sports from being viewed primarily as a recreational activity into a structured economic sector. Its focus will include promoting entrepreneurship, generating employment, attracting investment and encouraging international participation.
The committee has also been tasked with strengthening the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) ecosystem within the sports sector. Key priorities include improving the ease of investment, promoting Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models for sports infrastructure development and encouraging innovation in sports technology and manufacturing. The committee will also prepare policy recommendations urging the government to officially recognise sports as an industry and introduce supportive measures.
