India’s sports economy poised for transformative growth: Ishan Chatterjee

India’s sports economy is entering a “transformative decade” powered by fandom, technology and inclusivity, said Ishan Chatterjee, CEO, Sports at JioStar, during a fireside chat at FICCI Frames 2025.

Quoting a Deloitte study, Chatterjee said India’s sports economy is expected to more than double from $30 billion in 2023 to $70 billion by 2030. “To put that in perspective, Brazil stands at $6–8 billion and the UK, one of the most advanced markets, is about $40 billion. We are truly at an inflection point,” he said.



Chatterjee underlined the growing potential beyond men’s cricket. “The big trend we are betting on is the rise of other sports such as tennis, football, kabaddi and even e-sports. As soon as Indian athletes start delivering world-class results, we see fandom accelerate. Just look at what Neeraj Chopra did for the javelin,” he said.


He also emphasised the importance of inclusivity, particularly in women’s cricket. “Our role as broadcasters is to give women’s cricket visibility, prime-time slots and the right storytelling. The WPL is one of our biggest priorities,” he said.


On the IPL’s vast reach, Chatterjee said, “During the last season we lit up over 1.1 billion screens across television and digital. To grow consumption, we have to appeal to both the core fan who wants depth and stats, and the casual viewer seeking entertainment or creator-driven content.”


Discussing JioStar’s technology-led vision, he added, “Our goal for sports viewing is a completely personalised, one-to-one feed. Two people can watch the same match, but their experience, camera angles, commentary and interactive features will be entirely different.”


Chatterjee concluded by noting that India’s rapid technology adoption is reshaping fan experiences through innovations such as multi-cam viewing, vertical formats and AI-driven highlights. “This is only the beginning,” he said.