Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, on Monday inaugurated the “Giving Wings to Dreams Conclave 2025” at Shangri-La Eros Hotel in the capital. The event, organised by SPORTSCOM, brought together stakeholders from across the sporting ecosystem to discuss investment, sports science, manufacturing, and the scaling of sports startups, with the broader vision of positioning India as a global sporting superpower.
Addressing the gathering as Chief Guest, Khadse underlined the need for early exposure to sports science in an athlete’s career. “Golden years lost by athletes are lost, if they are not exposed to sports science in their early years,” she said, while urging startups and private investors to contribute to sports development.
The Minister called for greater adoption of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models in the sector, stressing the importance of channeling more Research and Development (R&D) into sports science. She also highlighted the need to extend such innovations to rural areas by training teachers and coaches, thereby strengthening grassroots talent.
Emphasising self-reliance, Khadse advocated for high-quality, “Made in India” sports equipment to reduce dependency on imports. She also encouraged the use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for sports promotion, describing it as both an economic development model and a people’s movement.
During the event, ten emerging sports startups—Crosstrain Fight Club, A1 Sports World, Pong Fox, UpUr Fit, Way Me, Lets Game Now, Collearn Sports, Spolto, Hyperlab, and Dashpod—were felicitated by the Minister for their entrepreneurial contributions to India’s sporting ecosystem.
The conclave also hosted multiple plenary sessions, covering themes such as an “Investment Playbook” for sports startups, opportunities under “Make in India for the World,” and the growing role of data and analytics under the theme “Beyond Instinct: India’s Sporting Future in Data.”
Discussions centred on harnessing sports science to shape the country’s athletic future, promoting gender equality, expanding career opportunities, and making sports a “Jan Andolan”—a people’s movement aligned with national initiatives like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
