Indian sports industry is growing rapidly. Today, it is valued at around USD 19 billion and is projected to reach USD 40 billion by 2030.
With that growth comes a simple reality: India’s sporting ecosystem needs more people who understand how the industry works and how they can continue to build it.
There are many ways to enter the world of Indian sport.
You could be an athlete who understands the technical aspect of their game, the mental resilience that is required to perform, and the realities of life as an athlete. You could be a coach who understands performance, development, and the realities of the field. But what if you are entirely new to the world of sport?
That is where education can become your entry point. And naturally, the question comes up: why not an MBA?
An MBA provides a strong foundation in business – strategy, finance, marketing, leadership, operations, and more. These are valuable skills in any industry. But sport is not just another industry. It has its own stakeholders, its own challenges, and its own language.
This is where AISTS INDIA is different.
The classroom mirrors the industry. It brings together students from different academic, professional, and sporting backgrounds. Many have been athletes themselves. Others come from completely different industries and are looking to build their careers in sport.
This creates a classroom that looks much like the sports industry itself – diverse, multidisciplinary, with constantly evolving perspectives.
Then there is the faculty. Your professors aren’t simply academics who teach you from a textbook. They are industry professionals actively working across sporting disciplines – from Sports Management, Data and Technology, Sports Medicine, Sports Law, Sociology, Leadership and Development. Not only are they teaching all that the industry is, but also sharing what the industry is becoming.
Most importantly, they become your mentors. Building the right network.
In sport, who you know matters – but what you build for yourself with that network matters even more. AISTS INDIA places a huge emphasis on creating a strong, connected community. With a limited cohort size, every individual gets the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with classmates, faculty, and industry leaders.
You aren’t just building a LinkedIn network. You are building a community of people who will go on to work across different corners of the sporting ecosystem. And that community doesn’t end when the program does.
Building skillsets that are specific to sport.
The sports industry needs people who understand more than one part of the ecosystem. Someone working in a sports organisation may need to understand business strategy, athlete development, data, governance, and more. AISTS INDIA brings these perspectives together. Learning from experts across different areas of sport helps students become more versatile professionals, who are capable of understanding how different parts of the industry coexist.
This is very different from learning a broad business skillset and then trying to figure out how to apply it to sport.
The goal isn’t to spend 12 months in a classroom and walk out with a certificate. It is to graduate with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to add value from day one. Through industry exposure, internships, placements, and continuous interactions with industry professionals, students are constantly encouraged to take what they learn and apply it to the real world.
India needs more people who want to work in sport. But passion alone isn’t enough. We need people equipped with the skills, knowledge, and perspectives to continue to build the future of Indian sport.
So, is an MBA valuable?
Absolutely.
But if you know that sport is where you want to build your career, there is a different question worth asking – do you want to learn business and then find your way into sport? Or do you want to spend your time learning how business, leadership, and innovation work specifically within sport?
AISTS INDIA is built for the latter.
