New Delhi, 29 October (H.S.): The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has announced the 16th edition of TURF 2026, its global conference on the business of sports, along with the India Sports Awards. The event will be held on November 20 at Federation House in New Delhi, with France designated as the partner country.

The conference will be held under the theme “Accelerating India’s Sports Economy: Partnerships, Innovation and Global Leadership”, with a particular emphasis on strengthening cooperation between India and France across the sports ecosystem.

According to a FICCI press release, a French sports delegation will participate in the conference. The delegation will include representatives from Business France, Choose Paris Region, Atout France, INSEP, Alcor Equipment and Groupe ABEO.

The delegation will begin its engagement with Indian stakeholders through an invitation-only speed networking session. Subsequent discussions will focus on India-France sports partnerships, lessons from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, India’s Olympic ambitions and emerging opportunities in sports technology.

Two knowledge reports will be released during the inaugural session: the FICCI-VCCI Knowledge Report and the FICCI-PwC report titled “Cricket 2.0: Playing on the Front Foot”.

P.K.S.V. Sagar, Chair of FICCI’s Sports Committee and Strategic Adviser to the GMR Group, said France’s experience in organising the Paris 2024 Olympic Games offered valuable lessons for India as it pursues its sporting ambitions.

He said TURF 2026 would bring the French delegation and Indian stakeholders together to explore opportunities for collaboration in high-performance sports, infrastructure, technology and sports event management.

Sagar also welcomed the release of the knowledge reports, expressing hope that they would serve as valuable reference material for the sports industry.

Sanjay Adesara, Co-Chair of FICCI’s Sports Committee and Chief Business Officer of Adani Sportsline, said Indian sports was moving beyond setting ambitions towards translating them into action. He emphasised that effective partnerships would be crucial to accelerating this transition.

According to Adesara, TURF 2026 would provide a platform for Indian and French stakeholders to exchange ideas, identify areas of mutual interest and develop long-term collaborations.

TURF has emerged as one of India’s prominent platforms for the sports business sector, bringing together policymakers, athletes, investors, brands and innovators to discuss industry developments, challenges and opportunities.

The conference will conclude with the India Sports Awards ceremony in the evening, recognising outstanding contributions to sports business and leadership. A networking dinner will follow, providing participants with further opportunities to strengthen professional relationships and explore potential partnerships.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar