Singhania family’s JKC Sports plans ₹150 crore sports infrastructure expansion

Mumbai: JKC Sports, a venture of the Singhania family associated with the JK Organisation, plans to invest ₹100-150 crore over the next four to five years as it expands into sports infrastructure, technology and new sporting IP (intellectual property), according to its cofounder, Madhavkrishna Singhania.

The other cofounder of JKC Sports is Raghavpat Singhania, the managing director of JK Cement, while Sukhvinder Singh is its chief executive officer. The venture has deployed ₹100-150 crore over the last four years, Madhavkrishna Singhania told ET in an interview.

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"We have deployed about ₹100 to 150 crore over the last four years. And the plan is to deploy something similar over the next four to five years. One has to look at it as a long-term investment, and we will create some good IPs in the process of doing so," said Singhania, who is also joint managing director and chief executive of JK Cement.

JKC Sports owns the Gwalior franchise in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League and has partnered with the Bridge Federation of India to support the development and professionalisation of bridge. It also owns the My Bridge 360 community platform and has partnerships with Lucknow Super Giants, Kashi Rudras in the UP T20 League and American Gambits in the Global Chess League.

The venture has also invested in Sheru Classic Universe, a fitness, health and wellness platform operating across nine countries.

JKC Sports evaluates franchise opportunities based on federation stability, independent governance and financial transparency, the commitment of other franchise owners and the potential to build a local fan base, Singhania said.

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"Franchise-based investments are something which we are evaluating very carefully to see whether it can create long-term value. In case we don't see that, then we feel it's best to start creating our own IP in the sport, from a grassroots to talent level," Singhania said.

The company is exploring opportunities across eight to 10 sporting disciplines, including cricket, bridge, squash, shooting, swimming, badminton, wrestling and powerlifting. It has also invested in a dedicated capability centre to support its portfolio and provide services to other businesses in the sports industry.