Rs 25 crore AIFF-backed pool revives ISL after commercial partner void

Government intervention unlocks a Rs 25 crore central pool to restart the Indian Super League after the absence of a commercial partner forced a pause.

The Indian Super League (ISL), India’s domestic football competition, will restart on February 14 after direct government intervention unlocked a Rs 25 crore funding pool to rescue the league from a prolonged standstill caused by the absence of a commercial partner.

 

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced the decision on Tuesday following a meeting involving the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and representatives of all 14 participating clubs. The league had been on pause for weeks as the federation struggled to secure private commercial backing, exposing structural vulnerabilities in the financing of Indian football.

 

The revival plan hinges on a centrally created Rs 25 crore pool meant exclusively for the conduct of the ISL. While the original funding structure envisaged a 30 per cent contribution from a commercial partner, that component has now been temporarily absorbed by the AIFF in the absence of sponsorship support.

 

 

“A Rs 25 crore central pool has been made for only the conduct of the ISL. Ten per cent of this fund will come from AIFF, 30 per cent was to come from a commercial partner but since we don’t have one right now, the AIFF will pitch in with that contribution,” AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said after the meeting.

 

In effect, the federation will contribute Rs 14 crore towards the ISL’s operations, significantly more than initially planned, underscoring the financial strain placed on the governing body due to the lack of commercial backing. Chaubey also said the AIFF would provide an additional Rs 3.2 crore to support the I-League, which had also been paused.

 

“In all, the AIFF will give Rs 14 crore for ISL and about Rs 3.2 crore for I-League till we find a commercial partner,” he said.

 

The episode highlights how India’s domestic football ecosystem remains heavily dependent on institutional support, with the AIFF emerging as the principal financial backstop in the absence of private capital. The situation also necessitated intervention from the Centre to prevent a complete derailment of the season, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of league operations without assured commercial revenue streams.

 

Mandaviya said the government-facilitated discussions helped clear uncertainty that had built up around the league’s future. “There was a lot of speculation regarding ISL but today the government, football federation and 14 clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal included, had a meeting and we have decided that ISL will start on February 14. All clubs will participate,” he said.

 

The ISL will feature all 14 clubs and will be played on a home-and-away basis, comprising 91 matches. Officials said logistical arrangements were still being finalised, given the compressed timeline and the earlier pause in planning.

 

The I-League, India’s second-tier competition, will also resume around the same period but in a truncated format. It will feature 11 clubs and 55 matches, reflecting the financial constraints under which the federation is currently operating.

 

To address governance and commercial decision-making gaps exposed by the crisis, Chaubey said a Governing Council Board would be constituted to manage both leagues in the future. The proposed body, he said, would be “empowered to take all commercial decisions."