DELHI / CHENNAI : IIT Madras’ ‘Sports Tech Start-Up Conclave’, a first-of-its-kind event, was inaugurated in New Delhi today (12th July 2024). The Two-Day Conclave in collaboration aims to boost indigenization and technology support for Atmanirbhar Bharat in sports sector.
Being spearheaded by IIT Madras Center of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics (CESSA), this two-day conclave will also boost Deep Tech start-ups in Sports Sector by providing investment support to final shortlisted sports tech start-ups. The conclave is sponsored by Dream Sports, Vedanta and SFA Play.
Addressing the Inaugural Session of the Conclave, Mrs. Sujata Chaturvedi, IAS, Secretary (Sports), Government of India, said, “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.”
Mrs. Sujata Chaturvedi, IAS, said, “This Sports Tech Start-Up Conclave will be a great help in bringing together all the people who are interested in furthering sports in India and sports technology. We (India) are a giant in Pharmaceutical, IT and many other sectors and the same logic should apply to sports tech as well. I am a firm believer in Aatmanirbhar Bharat and I am sure India will develop indigenous technology in Sports.”
Further, Mrs. Sujata Chaturvedi, IAS, added, “The challenge in Sports Sector is huge and becomes bigger by the day as new technology comes into the sector. Every day, some person in the world innovates and starts a new sports. During COVID, we saw the outdoor sports undergo a tectonic shift. We saw the world of e-Sports and Digital Space has become a prime example of what the future of sports looks like today. This is an exciting time to be in sports, especially with the Paris Olympic set to start in a few days. Over 115 Young Men and Women are going to represent India in the Paris Olympics. Immediately after is the Para Olympics and we are looking at two months of exciting sports. The opportunities for players in the sports tech space is immense and the work that IITM is doing in this space is commendable.”
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 Olympics 2036.
Speaking on the occasion, Brig. Dr. Bibhu Kalyan Nayak, Director in-charge and Head, National Centre for Sports Sciences and Research (NCSSR), said, “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”
Brig. Dr. Bibhu Kalyan Nayak said, “We undertake routine medical and cardiac screening for preventive check-ups along with musculoskeletal assessment along with motion analysis to screen for suspected injuries. We are also proficient in injury management with extensive tie-ups with top hospitals across the country. Surgeries for injuries are also taken up on a priority basis.”
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 presented their business in front of an eminent panel of judges.
The funding for the final shortlisted start-ups will be from IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies with incubation support as well. Over the next five years, IIT Madras will lead the drive to incubate at least 200 sports technology start-ups from India with novel ideas.
Sending a Message highlighting the need for this Conclave, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “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.”
Further, Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, and Head of CESSA, IIT Madras, said, “This New Delhi Conclave serves as a pivotal platform for fostering sports sector innovation. By uniting visionary startups and offering crucial support, we aim to revolutionize sports technology in India. This initiative aligns with our mission of excellence and contributes to India’s global sporting aspirations.”
During the Conclave, IIT Madras also unveiled ‘EduSwasth’ an initiative for Tech Intervention in School Physical Education in India. It utilizes innovative and cost-effective IP hardware solutions and IoT devices to capture accurate and comprehensive data on student PE sessions and implement a robust analytics suite to provide actionable insights.
It envisions seamless integration of hardware, IoT-enabled products, and digital platforms to monitor and analyse student PE performance in real-time with various levels of access- balancing privacy and development goals
The conclave also featured panel discussions on enhancing athlete performance with technology, the science behind the right sports nutrition, technology to support grass roots sports persons and supporting para-athletes and gamification of sport; and opportunities for Sports tech Start-ups in some of these areas.
‘EduSwasth’ initiative aims to integrate digital learning modules, sports-specific features, and a comprehensive analytics suite to provide a holistic approach to student well-being and athletic development. It also seeks to forge long-term relationships with sponsors, public and private educational institutions, and sports-specific partners to ensure the sustainability and scalability of the program.
The key objectives of ‘EduSwasth’ include
Ø Scientific and Tech-Driven Approach to Physical Education in India
Ø Integrated Tracking Solutions
Ø Cost-Effective Tech for Real-time Analytics
Ø Forging Long Term Strategic Partnerships
Ø Creating a Integrated Smart Health and Sports App in the future
IIT Madras CESSA is looking at such annual events partnering with NCSSR (National Center for Sports Science and Research) to benefit Indian sports eco system. IITM CESSA and NCSSR will also work towards joint research and market study initiatives in sports tech of focus and priority for Government of India.
Utilizing IITM’s knowledge pool and industry connections for start-ups in India and product development for NCSSR, Engagement in knowledge sharing and dissemination through joint consultancy initiatives between IITM CESSA and NCSSR In identified project, leveraging IITM’s expertise in deep tech areas like Al, ML, and computer vision to support sports tech startup to support Indian sports and some of whom also are of focus for NCSSR.
