Conversation with Arup Soans on sports business in India

Arup Soans is a business professional with a long list of credentials in the field of sports business. He is the first Indian to have obtained a master's degree in sports business from New York University, USA (NYU).

With a few years of experience working abroad with the New York-based Major League Soccer and Perform Sports Media, Arup returned to India. Today, he is leading and operating a variety of activities in this space.

In an exclusive conversation, Arup tells us about how he manages his diverse work and what he wishes to see change in the Indian sporting arena. So, onto the Q/A now.

1. Let's talk about your early career. How did you get interested in the business of sports?

My interest in business and management in general always existed as I pursued my bachelors and master's degrees in the field of business. I started out my professional career in retail followed by web design and development. After four years of working in different sectors, I realised it would make the most sense to pursue a higher education in a field of interest. Sport has always been an area of passion and inclination. So, combining my interest in business and management with sports seemed to be the obvious next step.

2. How did you get yourself started in this industry? What tips can you offer to those who are aiming to pursue a career in sports business?

My first role in the industry was as a workforce manager for the Commonwealth Youth Games that were held in 2008 in Pune. In retrospect, it was a great experience, with it being the largest international event India had ever hosted at the time, but there was also a huge learning from the mistakes an event like that made. From this exposure, I realised it would make the most sense to start interacting with some senior leaders and get their perspectives on the industry and where it was headed towards in India. I was lucky enough to have access to the likes of Prof. Shetty, Administrative Head of BCCI at the time, since he was also from my alma mater, Wilson College. The Indian Premier League (IPL) was only one season old and his thoughts on where the industry was moving towards were imperative for me to move ahead with pursuing a master's degree abroad. The idea was always to understand and learn from an organised sports industry outside the country and to return and implement the same in India.

For those aiming to pursue a career in sports business, my first tip would be to start conversations with people already in the industry and understand what their day to day routine looks like. Secondly, I would be encourage people to try to volunteer, take up a weekend job or help an existing sports business in order to make friends as well as get to know some of the challenges and joys working in sport brings.

3. How have the dynamics of sports changed in India since the time you started to now?

With over a decade gone by now, sports, world over, has seen a huge shift in communication as well as in the way its business is done. From athletes being able to talk directly to fans to brands being able to promote their products through sports using even non-athletes. In India, the main shift has happened at the workforce level and that is most important. What I mean to say is that now there are specialised people working in specific roles in sports, be it in professional sport or at the grassroots.

4. What according to you are the resources our country is lacking for sports growth currently?

The answer here is two-fold. Firstly, long-term commitment to grassroots development. It is easier said than done though every state in the country should have apart from excellence centres, small feeder centres as well. This is valid across all sporting disciplines. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean new infrastructure. I mean working with the existing schools, universities, and private clubs. Everyone needs to come together and share this long-term commitment.

Second, long-term commercial commitment should exist at both the professional as well as the grassroots level. Unless brands commit to working closely with teams, athletes, leagues, schools, etc., not only to activate their relationship but develop the sport as a whole, there will always be a sense of insecurity, which will surely hamper growth.

5. You are a consultant for a variety of sports organisations in India and abroad. How have you prepared yourself for this position and what has been your experience so far?

While completing my Master's in Sports Business from NYU, I had the opportunity to work on live projects with Major League Soccer and that experience set the tone for what was to come. After I returned to India, having spent three years in the United States, I decided to use the first few months to do my own research on the industry in India. This meant traveling and meeting people across multiple sports organisations. Though I had not planned it, I managed to get a couple of clients along the way who needed help with specific projects. Yes, my education helped me structure my assignments well, although convincing people in India that they need a consultant is another story. Having dealt with different stakeholders at all levels both Indian (GoI, AIFF, etc.) and international (FIFA, AFC, AUSTSWIM, etc.) over the years, I find myself to be in a unique position to understand the needs of a client and manage the expectation well enough to deliver what is required.

6. Apart from your consulting work, you have also been a founder of a non-profit initiative called Give for Sports Foundation. Can you speak about this program and your journey with it so far?

Give for Sports Foundation was setup as a charitable trust in Mumbai in 2013. It came about from my research that I talked about earlier when I realised that many existing sports NGOs in the country working in the underprivileged sector needed help to build awareness and raise funds. Apart from partnering with multiple sports NGOs like OSCAR, Rahee, etc., we also got included in an incubation program with UnLtd India. We are currently working to focus our efforts on one or two key initiatives that we could support in the long-term. Stay tuned for this one!

7. You have also launched an online sports business network for professionals. Can you tell us what is the purpose behind this and how has the response been so far?

The idea of the sports business network started with offline networking meet-ups hosted in multiple cities, something that I picked up during my time in New York. In India, we started with using Meetup as a platform and then moved over to Facebook. We now have over 7000 people as part of the group from over ten cities across the country. The purpose is to continue the engagement online but to also meet offline, at least twice a year, across a variety of cities. The last offline meetup saw over 200 people attend across six cities.

8. Your profile also includes your latest venture Kite Talks. What is this platform all about?

KiteTalks has been setup to enable sports professionals to experience focused and curated content as well as learnings from global game-changers. Apart from instilling confidence and sharing knowledge, the community will be equipped to work with a 'Big Goal' mindset and an international perspective. The best place to start off is to sign up for our Online #SportsBiz Summit on www.KiteTalks.com.

9. Where do you see the Indian sports business sector going in the next few years?

This is always a tough one to answer, though the future looks bright for India with multiple private stakeholders investing in long-term plans for development of multiple sports at both the grassroots as well as the professional level.

The next few years will see the sports business sector in India find sustainable solutions for both the Government and the private investments. The industry will need to evolve into one that has all entities working together to develop sport from the ground up.

10. What are your own personal goals for the near future?

To continue to build a community that strives to develop sport in India with integrity and teamwork. Playing more, Eating better, and learning Spanish and how to strum the guitar are also on my list.