CIES Partners with Pillai Group to Launch its Prestigious FIFA/CIES Executive Program in Sports Management in India

South Asia’s First Sports Management Program under ‘FIFA/CIES’ Network

by Najuka G

Mumbai, December 3, 2018: Mahatma Education Society’s Pillai Group of Institutions, a Mumbai based not for profit trust that manages over 48 educational institutions in Maharashtra, today announced their partnership with CIES (The International Centre for Sports Studies, Switzerland), one of the world’s premium bodies for Sports Management Education, to conduct the prestigious FIFA/CIES Executive Program in Sports Management in India.

FIFA (World’s Governing body of Football) along with CIES established the FIFA/CIES University Network in the year 2004 ‘to give students the broadest possible vision of management in modern sports’. Today, FIFA/CIES has an established network for conducting their executive sports management program in 15 different countries in Asia, Africa, South America and Central America, as well as in the Caribbean, the Middle East and Europe. India is the 16^th country in the global map to have such a program and 1^st in South Asia to get an authorization for running such an initiative. The program allows managers from various sports organizations to gain knowledge of management principles in fields such as marketing, sponsorship, finance and accounting, communication, management, law and event management.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) towards this direction has been signed by Mr. Pierre Cornu (President-CIES) and Dr. K.M. Vasudevan Pillai (Chairman-Pillai Group) in the presence of Mr. Vinod Tawde (Minister for Education and Sports - Government of Maharashtra), Mr. Bimal Parekh (Co-owner – Mumbai City FC) and many other prominent professionals from the sports industry in India.

After signing the agreement Dr. K. M Vasudevan Pillai Chairman, Pillai Group, said “Our partnership with FIFA/CIES has come at a crucial time where our country is all set to take its sports ecosystem towards a new direction. The Pillai group has focused on excellence in education for five decades now and is also known for encouraging its students to pursue a career in sport. We are proud that our alumni include nationally and internationally known athletes who have participated at the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian Super League (ISL). We are, therefore, convinced that being part of the FIFA/CIES University Network will allow us to become a leader in the field of sport management in South Asia.”

 He further added, “With the rise of world class leagues and clubs in the Indian sports, formal education in sports management has become the need of the hour. This program will enable the Pillai Group to nurture and develop skilled sport managers at the level of federations, clubs, small sports associations, government, corporates and local sports entities.” 

Pierre Cornu, CIES Board Chairman also emphasized the need for such training in sports organizations in the Indian subcontinent. “Sport is developing quickly in India, as shown by the examples of the Indian Super League in football, the Pro Kabbadi League or the Indian Premier League in cricket. It goes without saying that our presence in this young and very dynamic country is stimulating and encouraging. With our local partners, it will allow us to train a new generation of managers, and to help them meet the multiple and complex challenges facing contemporary sport.”

The signing ceremony was preceded by a Panel Discussion on “Business of Sports in India and its Potential” led by prominent sports professionals such as Ms. Vita Dani (Co-owner – Chennaiyin FC), Mr. Srinivvasan Gopalkrishnan (Head of Strategy – Reliance Sports), Mr. Supratik Sen (CEO U-Mumba Kabaddi Team) and Mr. Chaitanya Divan (Head of Content Acquisition – Star Sports). The panel was moderated by Indian Super League (ISL) presenter and sports enthusiast Ms. Khuri Irani. The discussions veered around the huge untapped potential in the business of sports in India as they felt that India was still a relatively small player in the multi-billion-dollar industry. They however alluded to the fact that things have changed since the formation and success of various leagues such as the IPL, ISL and PKL. They felt that the heightened level of interest in different sports in India and the increase in media viewership fueled by enormous consumer demand points to a very bright future for the sports industry in India.

While concluding the event, Franav Pillai Director of the Pillai/FIFA/CIES Executive Program added enthusiastically, “We have just launched a fruitful cooperation with CIES and the FIFA/CIES University Network, thanks to the support of FIFA. Being in contact with universities on several continents represents a unique opportunity to share skills that will be useful to Indian sport as a whole. Organizing the Pillai/FIFA/CIES Executive Program is a major source of motivation for us and a fantastic opportunity for our Nation.”

The first edition of the Pillai/FIFA/CIES Executive Program in Sports Management will start in September 2019.