India’s sports industry is booming, with leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian Super League (ISL) contributing billions to the economy. The IPL alone is valued at $16.4 billion in 2024, with other leagues following suit.

However, despite this growth, sports participation at the grassroots level remains limited, especially outside of cricket.

Moreover, sports in India is often viewed as a competitive pursuit reserved for the select few who aspire to become professional athletes, with a societal emphasis on winning medals.

In contrast, the broader benefits of sports on physical health, mental well-being, and community engagement are often overlooked.

The State of Sports and Physical Activity (SAPA) report by Dalberg Advisors highlights alarming figures: 155 million Indian adults and 45 million adolescents do not meet the World Health Organization's physical activity guidelines.

At the grassroots level, the country’s sports culture faces significant challenges in terms of accessibility and inclusivity.

This episode, the first in our new series 'Sports Beyond Medals', dives into the critical challenges that hinder widespread participation in sports across India.

We explore how sports can become a part of everyday life for everyone, not just athletes, and how India can learn from other countries where sports are a vital part of the culture.
Key Discussion Points

1. What are the main barriers to sports participation at the grassroots level in India?
2. How can India address the lack of accessible sports facilities, such as parks and playgrounds, in both urban and rural areas?
3. Why do adults in India disengage from sports, and how can we create a culture of lifelong sports participation?
4. What cultural and policy changes are needed to encourage more women and girls to engage in sports?

Speaker - Leslie Xavier, Senior Fellow (Sports Policies), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), and a seasoned Sports Journalist

Moderator - Dr. D Dhanuraj, Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR)

Tune in for an insightful conversation about reshaping India’s sports culture beyond the pursuit of medals.

Kerala has a rapidly ageing population, with the proportion of senior citizens (aged 60 and above) projected to reach 22.8% by 2036, significantly higher than the national average of 15%. This demographic shift poses challenges for the state in terms of providing adequate care and support for its elderly population. As Kerala grapples with the challenges of a rapidly ageing population, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach involving the government, civil society, and senior citizen organisations is necessary to ensure the well-being and dignity of its senior citizens.

The episode aims to understand the challenges and explore innovative solutions emphasising the importance of a multi-faceted approach to address the increasing ageing population of the state.

The episode discusses the increasing ageing population of the state with special focus on Kerala’s senior citizen policy, this will be featured as part of the “health”, “economy”,and “governance and law” research areas of CPPR.

Speaker: Chandana Rajashekaran- Research Officer at the Center for Management Development, Trivandrum, leading a team that provides research support for policy development.

Moderator: Anu Anna Jo, Senior Research Associate, CPPR.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

1. Understanding and major learnings with regard to the State’s policy of 2013.
2. Importance of promoting social security net at a very young age.
3. Tackling the twin problem of migration and care economy.
4. Data availability and use of data in framing the policies.

In this episode, we explore the need for decriminalisation, simplification, and digitisation in business regulations. We dissect the implications of the Jan Vishwas Act and proposed amendments and delve into the progress of decriminalisation across the nation, identifying states leading the charge in reform efforts. Join us as we unravel the complexities and envision the future of business regulations.

Speaker:

Rishi Agrawal, Co-founder & CEO at Teamlease Regtech. Rishi is the co-founder & CEO at Teamlease Regtech. Rishi firmly believes in the power of technology to transform the way Compliance is managed in India. Over the last several years, Rishi has helped over 1,000 companies in India digitally transform their Compliance program. In addition, he has been working closely with different central ministries, think tanks, and industry associations to highlight India's regulatory complexity and make a case for rationalisation, simplification, and digitisation. He is also the co-author of the report “Jailed for Doing Business”.