Post by Jio Institute

Did you know that just 30 districts in India produce nearly 80% of the country’s competitive football talent? ⚽ That was one of the many insights shared by Gaurav Sharga, 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 - 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 (𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹), 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, during an engaging session with our PGP in Sports Management students. Drawing on his experience leading football initiatives across the youth talent pathway from U-8 to U-21, Gaurav unpacked the realities of grassroots development, talent identification, athlete pathways, and the systems required to build the next generation of footballers. Students gained a behind-the-scenes look at the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL), one of India’s premier youth football competitions, featuring 54 teams from 19 States and Union Territories across 261 matches. The conversation extended beyond the pitch, exploring women’s football, coaching development, community-led sports ecosystems, and what it takes to create sustainable pathways for sporting excellence. At Jio Institute, learning goes beyond the classroom—connecting students with industry leaders who are shaping the future of sport in India. Anirudh Kalia Palak Sheth Pramod Jain Shailesh Kumar Rajasekharan Pillai V N Meenal Upadhyaya BharathRam Reddy Muppani Siddharth Shanker Reliance Foundation #JioInstitute #SportsManagement #IndustrySpeaker #Sports #PGP