"Sports Tech is definitely a sector to look out for": Sporjo CEO and founder Srinivvasan G 

Sporjo, a platform that helps aspiring sports professionals progress in their careers, is one of the top Indian companies contributing to the sports ecosystem today. Countries in the West cracked the code of building lucrative careers in the sporting sector a long time ago, but it has taken a while for India to understand the same.

Sporjo founder Srinivvasan G, a reputable man in the industry, identified this gap and created a platform that would help others reach similar heights in the sports field. Prior to establishing Sporjo, Srinivvasan was associated with ESPN, Nike, the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Indian Super League (ISL) and IMG Reliance. So, as far as experience goes, few have accomplished more.

But for any company to grow, initiatives and partnerships are an integral part. Sporjo has these in abundance, and their latest initiative, in collaboration with Marwah Sports Pvt. Ltd., is thinQsport, India's first organized sports tech investment program. This enterprise will help like-minded partners connect and invest in startups who are designing innovative products. The sports tech market is creating the most buzz at the moment, and opening up this platform was perhaps a no-brainer for the founders.

Sportskeeda recently caught up with him for an exclusive interview with Srinivvasan. Speaking about the creative venture in depth, he shed light on the thinking behind starting the program, by saying:

"The idea is to help entrepreneurs build a strong and sustainable business. Sports Tech is definitely a sector to look out for, considering the influence of technology in the various aspects of sports - be it esports, fan engagement, on-field analytics, etc."

Commenting on working with Pranav Marwah, he said:

"Pranav Marwah and I share the same vision to develop the ecosystem as ideas are in plenty, but the ability to execute them and bring that brainchild into reality is what defines the success of the business. Right from helping them raise money, compliance, finance and legal help, marketing, scaling up, etc., we will handhold them through the journey. We believe that this partnership will facilitate the amalgamation of great ideas and industry-ready solutions and provide a fillip to the sports ecosystem in India."

While thinQsport is a budding initiative of 2022, Sporjo fared exceedingly well in building relationships and launching programs in 2021.

Let's delve a little deeper into that.

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Sporjo's ingenious plan of partnerships and collaborations in 2021

Knowledge of a particular industry is a pivotal growing factor for any aspiring professional. The sports sector is no different, but educational resources are not affordable for everybody in the country. Each one functions within their budget, which often acts as a limiting factor - something Sporjo recognized.

They entered into a strategic partnership with iSportLearn, a sports business education platform. The two companies will now focus on providing bespoke events, content and more, thereby helping the Indian market expand its knowledge about global sports businesses.

Regarding this intriguing collaboration, Srinivvasan talked about the massive size of the sports industry and the need to spread information and be aware of new developments. He said:

"The beauty of the sports business is simply how vast it is. To give you an example, there are over 20 verticals in sports management with over 50 standard roles across it. The overall awareness of the opportunities in working in sports off the field is quite limited. This is the gap we aim to bridge through our thought leadership activities and bespoke products. Getting packaged content and best practises from the West will be key for sports management aspirants in India to develop into professionals."

Sporjo also partnered with the The International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS), a non-profit foundation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Olympic Capital. The aim behind it has been to further the cause of education in sports, thereby emphasizing the need to gain knowledge and understanding of the industry before contributing to it.

Although iSportLearn and AISTS are ventures in verticals of sports education, Srinivvasan truly believes the principle of "the more, the better", when it comes to partnering with such institutions, as the end-objectives remains the same for everybody. He added:

"Most sports are team events and the success of any team is how individual members partner to work towards it. It is tough to do any job alone. Having partners like AISTS will help us develop the ecosystem together. Sporjo’s vision is to create half-a-million trained individuals over the next 10 years. Partnerships will be key to reach that milestone where everyone brings their individual strengths and the outcome benefits the Indian sports ecosystem."

By now, one should understand that education for any sports professional is of utmost importance. One sport that has gained traction over the last decade is football, and the rise of the ISL has certainly contributed to that.

But while players can be trained and their talent can be honed, coaching remains one of the hardest jobs. European football managers are paid handsomely for their tactial expertise in managing big clubs, thanks to the education provided to them in their respective countries. India is yet to provide proper coaching education to people who are eager to take it up as a profession.

The Association of Indian Football Coaches has certainly tried to bring about the same and last year. Sporjo aligned with them and launched their own "Sporjo Coach" program. This will enable amateur coaches, elite coaches, PE teachers, and aspiring coaches to be assessed, mentored, and then trained as per the regulations of the initiative.

Srinivvasan explained the importance of coaches in the lives of players and how they set the foundation for several talented individuals, saying:

"Coaches are the unsung heroes of developing sports in any country. They lay the foundation for the players at their nascent stage and guide them as they make their way up to play at the elite level. Sporjo Coach, in partnership with the AIFC, will provide the platform for coaches to be equipped with the right tools to facilitate the growth of the players. The program focuses on skills that will make the coach more employable, such as problem solving, communication, dealing with children, observation etc."

However, Sporjo's most exciting collaboration of 2021 was their partnership with ISL side Kerala Blasters. The football club and online sports company decided to join hands to create a talent pipeline in Kerala. They aim to hone the leaders of tomorrow by providing sports mentorship, up-skilling, training and employability to anyone who is interested in an "off-field" career in sports.

Srinivvasan explained how Sporjo approached this partnership, and the kind of success they achieved and are expecting in the future, by saying:

"Kerala Blasters FC is one of the best football clubs in the country. Their passion for the sport is very evident on the field and off it through their fans - Manjappada. Kerala is a state that is very passionate about their sport and our idea was to build awareness about the off-field careers in sports through their favorite club and players."

Explaining how the partnership also aims to source off-the-pitch talent, Srinivvasan said:

"As part of the partnership, we ran a contest to hire interns for the club. Over 3000 people applied and three candidates were chosen. This created a lot of engagement on social media as the club is genuinely looking to create off-the-pitch talent as well. Going by the overwhelming responses we have received, it is safe to say that we will definitely have a lot of capable individuals working in sports management, from Kerala."

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Bringing Leander Paes on board and the development of tennis

There is little argument that tennis icons Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi were the flagbearers of Indian sport alongside cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar. Although all three are esteemed individuals in their own right, Sporjo decided to make Paes their strategic advisor, a move that has paid off so far and is sure to continue to do so.

If one were to ever browse through the interviews of Paes over the years, it is clear that he is quite knowledgeable about a variety of sports and has an excellent understanding of the sports ecosystem in India and in other countries that are flourishing in this sector.

Srinivvasan believes the same and is confident of taking Sporjo in the right direction with the former tennis superstar on board as a strategic advisor. He said:

"Leander Paes is the most decorated Indian tennis player and definitely one of the flag bearers of Indian sport. He brings with him years of experience in sports and shares the vision of building the sports ecosystem in India and globally. With him on board as our strategic advisor, I am confident that we are headed in the right direction, producing proficient sports management professionals who can thrive in the world of sports."

While Sporjo did bring Paes on board, they also expressed interest in furthering the development of tennis professionals throughout the country, which was evident when they decided to sponsor the Sunday Tennis League in Worli, Mumbai last year. Given that India has not tasted success in singles tennis in any of the Grand Slams (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open) for a while now, it is integral to support and provide a platform for aspiring tennis players to reach that goal.

Srinivvasan explained the broad plans of how Sporjo plans on contributing to not just tennis, but each and every sport in the country, saying:

"At Sporjo, we support all kinds of sports at various levels because our aim is to support the development of the ecosystem. The importance of producing world class athletes, not just in tennis but across, cannot be overstated."

He added:

Facilitating the development of athletes that are able to perform well on the world stage leads to accolades and laurels for the nation. This in turn helps generate interest in the sport and the development of the sport. The kind of interest and awareness that we as a nation developed towards tennis when the likes of Leander, Mahesh, Rohan and Sania tasted success in the majors was unparalleled. A similar case can be made for the success India had at the Olympics recently."

Creating champions is a marathon and not a race. Srinivvasan is well aware of this and believes a "robust ecosystem" is the only way for India to produce several more gold-standard athletes. He said:

"Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world, arguably the most watched singles sport. While India has seen some success in the doubles category, there is still tremendous work to be done. Creating champions is not an easy task - it requires a robust ecosystem of grassroots, coaching, government and private sector support, etc. Having a robust home circuit to compete in is also essential for athletes to do well."

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Future objectives and Sporjo's roadmap

Sporjo has now established itself as one of the "go to" platforms for young professionals to enter the sports industry. But the company is looking to grow more and more in the coming years.

Developing and expanding reach is the objective of any good organization. Sporjo hoped to do the same last year after raising $2 million (₹14 crore) in a Pre-Series A round led by private investor Punit Balan, chairman of S Balan Group & Punit Balan Studios, in participation with other private investors.

Gaining funds and using them cleverly are two different things. But Sporjo has a clear plan of action and made effective use of it. They are also planning to invest in newer and more innovative programs in 2022.

Srinivvasan was more than pleased with the objectives Sporjo achieved in 2021 and pinpointed how the company plans on using the same finances this year, saying:

"One of our primary objectives last year was to build a solid team who share our vision as a company and have the ability to propel Sporjo towards its goals as a collective unit. We also focussed on driving our marketing and exploring various partnership opportunities. Last but not least, expanding our product portfolio was amongst our top priorities. For this year, we aim to strengthen our current offerings and subsequently develop new ones."

But one key aspect of Sporjo is that they do not restrict themselves in their expansion plans and do not wish to be defined as a company in a particular sporting vertical. The company has worked over the last couple of years to mentor aspiring professionals and provide them with placements in the industry.

However, those jobs are not limited to one area or a single sport. Keeping an open mind and keeping your options open enables one to broaden their horizons, and Sporjo has been doing that since its inception.

Srinivvasan has always been clear on the objectives of the company and the reasons behind its establishment. The Indian sports market is currently only contributing 0.1% to the country's GDP, as opposed to the global average of 0.5%. However, the roadmap laid down for Sporjo is sure to help bridge this gap in their long journey of producing millions of sports professionals in the nation.

Srinivvasan added:

"Over the last one year, everyone asks us which category are you - EdTech, HR, placements, sports, etc. We are all of these and much more. Since we are spread across multiple categories, we created one called (SEED) Tech . This stands for Sports Education, Employability and Ecosystem Development all powered by Tech. Our objectives in training people, helping build revenue, investments, and partnerships lay a foundation for the entire ecosystem."

Touching on their "Sporjo for Life" policy, Srinivvasan said:

"With the current and upcoming initiatives, we can be sure that we can play a small part in increasing this contribution. We follow a simple policy called ‘Sporjo for Life’, which means that any stage of life that you are in, Sporjo will have something for you that will help you turn your passion into a profession. Whether it is in school, college, university, working professionals, coaches - Sporjo products and services will be available for everyone to use. The future will see us foray into content, new partnerships, create unique IPs and make sports education a lot more accessible."

Sports is an extremely broad market today and the number of opportunities to build careers in them is unknown to the Indian public. Working in the IPL, NBA, NFL, Formula 1, MLB, MLS, PKL, ISL, La Liga, FIFA, and several other premium sporting leagues and tournaments was a distant dream in the 2000s, but those wishes could come true today.

Sporjo is doing its part in creating awareness and launching initiatives for the greater good. So far, they have hit the bull’s eye, and few would doubt that they will achieve their goals and create a sustainable sports ecosystem in India over the next decade or so. "Sporjo for life" is the mantra and they have certainly stuck to it.