From WPL to football, Capri deepens women’s sports push

Capri Sports is taking its push into women’s sport beyond cricket, working with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on the commercial development of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and IWL 2.

Jinisha Sharma, director, Capri Sports, said the company’s initial focus would be to build visibility, consistent viewership and fandom around women’s football rather than approach the leagues purely through conventional commercial metrics.

“Having a broadcast partner alone doesn't build a fan,” Sharma said. “Our main focus is to get as many people as we can to watch the sport consistently. We need to put it on a platform where we can attract a lot of attention.”


Capri’s role covers media rights, broadcast, production, marketing and commercial development. The company is speaking to multiple potential broadcast partners and will look for partners that share its vision of building the sport.

“I don't think the answer is just who is going to pay. I think it's more about who also believes in the same vision that we have and wants to build it up with us,” Sharma said.

Capri is believed to have bid Rs 150 crore for the 15-year commercial rights. Sharma said Capri’s involvement would extend beyond the league to helping build the clubs and the wider ecosystem.

“It’s going to take a lot of effort and bringing in the right partners and stakeholders who can also help both the clubs grow in their own capacity, and hence the league,” she said.

The company also sees the league as an opportunity to strengthen the player pathway. Sharma said greater competition, structured games and clarity on annual game time would be important for talent development.

“One of the things that we could massively impact by investing at the league level would be that,” she said.

The move deepens Capri’s growing presence in women’s sport, spanning professional teams and grassroots development. In 2023, Capri Global acquired Women’s Premier League team UP Warriorz for Rs 757 crore. Its broader sports portfolio extends across other leagues, while its grassroots initiative, Nova Sports, focuses on developing girls’ football.

Sharma said Capri viewed women’s football as a long-term investment, while acknowledging gaps in the ecosystem and a shortage of content specifically focused on women’s football.

“There is a fair bit of work that needs to go into building this foundation,” she said.

The IWL is India’s top-tier women’s club football competition, while IWL 2 is the second tier and serves as the pathway to the top division. Introduced in the 2023-24 season, IWL 2 operates a promotion system, with its top two teams moving up to the IWL.

The 2026-27 IWL will feature eight teams, while IWL 2 will have 20 clubs. AIFF has outlined plans to expand the IWL to 10 teams by 2028-29 and eventually to 12, with the number of matches also set to increase.