IIT Madras’ ‘Sports Tech Start-Up Conclave’ which aims to boost indigenisation and technology support for Atmanirbhar Bharat in the sports sector was inaugurated in New Delhi on July 12, 2024.
According to a press release by IIT Madras, the two-day conclave spearheaded by the Center of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics (CESSA) of the institute, aims to boost Deep Tech start-ups in the Sports Sector by providing investment support to final shortlisted sports tech start-ups. The conclave is sponsored by Dream Sports, Vedanta and SFA Play.
“As all of you are aware, the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has expressed India’s wish to host the 2036 summer Olympics. We are working towards making the bid successful. We have to not only work hard but all of us have to work together to make India a sporting giant in the world. We are hopeful that IITM CESSA will pave the way for a culture of innovation in sports,” said Sujata Chaturvedi, IAS, Secretary (Sports), Government of India.
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IITM CESSA showcased its current work and plans across Sports technology and products for the next few years to drive overall sporting excellence in the country and support structures of the Government of India’s initiatives and various sports bodies’ efforts towards hosting the Olympics 2036, ,mentioned the press release.
“The Government of India in 2017 came up with the idea of setting up the NCSSR to support education, research and innovation on high-performing athletes. It has a current budget outlay of Rs. 260 crore. Our mission is to always be athlete-centric. We have to develop a supportive ecosystem where the athletes’ needs and challenges are taken care off. We want to train experts in the country who can provide the best possible solution to our athletes. We have 11 centres spread across various sciences centres in the country supported by six universities and five medical colleges. NCCSR collaborates closely with IIT MADRAS and will continue to do so in the future,” said Brig. Dr. Bibhu Kalyan Nayak, Director in-charge and Head, National Centre for Sports Sciences and Research (NCSSR).
During the start-up funding session during the conclave at IITM CONCLAVE, Selected sports tech start-ups ranging from unique apps leveraging vision to improve cricket training sessions, India-specific athlete management system, unique sports learning platform/module developer and many others will present their business in front of a panel of judges, informed IIT Madras.
“With the ever-increasing intervention of technology in sports, IIT Madras is committed to bringing sports and technology together. We believe that the market for sports technology will be significant. There is a necessity to develop indigenous products for Indian sportspersons, right from monitoring their health to monitoring progress in their respective sports. This Sports Conclave is yet another effort taken by IIT Madras to meet these objectives,” said Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras.
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