English Premier League sets up India office in Mumbai
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London: The English Premier League has announced the opening of a new office in Mumbai, India, marking a significant step in its ongoing efforts to deepen engagement with fans and partners in the country. This initiative aims to support the continued growth of football in India and strengthen ties at both grassroots and elite levels.
The League has long maintained a strong connection with Indian football, having run the Premier Skills programme since 2007 in partnership with the British Council. This initiative, focused on community development, has reached more than 18 states across India, training over 7,300 coaches, referees, and educators, and benefiting approximately 124,000 young people.
At the elite level, the Premier League has collaborated closely with the Indian Super League (ISL) since 2014. This partnership has involved sharing knowledge and expertise across governance, youth development, and training for coaches and referees.
The new India office will reinforce the League’s commitment to football development across the country. It will facilitate stronger collaboration with local football authorities and governing bodies and enhance fan engagement through events and strategic partnerships. The office will work in close coordination with the League’s long-standing broadcast partner JioStar.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters emphasized the significance of the move, stating: “We and our clubs have a fantastic and knowledgeable fanbase in India, and we know football continues to grow in popularity. We are proud of our longstanding commitment to India, having worked to deliver community football programmes for 18 years and, more recently, our partnership with the Indian Super League.
“Opening this office marks a significant milestone for the Premier League. It will allow us to operate more effectively locally as we build on our existing work to establish more ways to strengthen our relationship with fans, JioStar and other partners. We are looking forward to the opportunities it will create in the region.”
The League also launched the Next Gen Cup in 2019, an elite international youth football tournament held in collaboration with ISL and the Reliance Foundation. The sixth edition of the tournament is set to take place in Mumbai in May 2025 and will feature Indian Super League youth teams competing against under-19 sides from Premier League clubs.
The Mumbai office follows the League’s international expansion strategy, which began with the opening of an office in Singapore in 2019 to combat piracy and support broadcast operations. This was followed by the establishment of offices in New York in July 2023 to drive fan engagement in the United States, and in Beijing in October 2024 to strengthen outreach and football development efforts in China.
With IANS inputs
