Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore) hosted the Sport and Business Conference 2.0 on October 9–10 reaffirming its role as a leading hub for cross-disciplinary dialogue that bridges the worlds of sports, academia and business.
Conducted in collaboration with Taylor & Francis as the academic partner, Revsportz as the media partner and GPEC-X UK as the knowledge partner, the two-day conference drew an eclectic mix of scholars, industry experts, athletes, journalists and policymakers to deliberate on the evolving relationship between sports and business, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for India as a potential global sporting powerhouse.
The conference was inaugurated by IIM Indore director prof Himanshu Rai. Chief guest Padma Bhushan Pullela Gopichand, India’s chief national badminton coach; prof. Vijay Pereira, founder and managing director of GPEC-X UK; Dr Boria Majumdar, founder and editor-in-chief of Revsportz; prof. Nalin Mehta, political scientist, journalist, and writer; and Ashok Namboodiri, a global media and sports business leader, were also present on this occasion.
In his inaugural address, Rai highlighted how the intersection of sport and management offers unique lessons in leadership, resilience, and performance. He drew upon India’s timeless philosophical and cultural wisdom, and emphasised that true readiness for such a global event transcends infrastructure, finance, or policy, and instead lies in the triad of Sahasa, Buddhi, and Krid? – i.e., courage guided by wisdom, and the joyful, disciplined spirit of play.
“India already possesses the vision, strength and harmony required to inspire the world”, he said.
Gopichand remarked that sports have undergone significant evolution over the years, urging educators, policymakers, and institutions to focus not merely on producing champions but on nurturing physical literacy and inclusivity from a young age.
He emphasised that true success in sports education is not determined by the best performer in class but by the positive experience of the last person in the class.
“We should think not of how many are playing,” he said, “but of how many are not.” He said that the nation must reconnect with that purity while taking a calibrated and introspective view of its current systems. He concluded with a powerful message on resilience, noting that “the bigger the challenges you overcome, the stronger your mind becomes,” urging all stakeholders to embrace both the simplicity and the strength that sport inherently teaches.
Pereira shared the essence of collaboration between academia and industry. He emphasised the need for “knowledge ecosystems” that integrate academic rigor with practical realities, urging scholars to focus on research that influences policy and drives sustainable sports business models.
[Story by Staff Reporter]
