Gandhinagar, August 01, 2025: Swarrnim Startup and Innovation University is hosting the Sportspreneur Event 2025 on August 1 and 2, at University’s campus at Bhoyan Rathod in Gandhinagar. Designed as a convergence of innovations, sports and enterprise, the event offers a platform for startups, sports professionals, investors, players, coaches and students to engage with the fast-evolving sports entrepreneurship ecosystem. The event addresses key aspects of the sports sector ecosystem including pitching of startups, exhibitions by sports entrepreneurs, panel discussion with policy makers, national and international athletes and the other key stakeholders. On the day one more than 200 students and entrepreneurs participated and 15 sports related startups exhibited their products and services.
The event is taking place at a time when Bharat
is being considered as a potential host for the 2036 Olympics, a prospect that will
fortify India’s growing synergy between sports, innovation, and enterprise.
Sportspreneur Event 2025 aims to further fuel this momentum by supporting
budding sports entrepreneurs and startups through a range of curated
experiences. These include startup pitch sessions with a chance to win seed
funding of up to Rs 5 lakh, live product demos, interactive workshops on sports
tech and monetisation, branding sessions, and high-impact networking
opportunities.
During his opening remarks, Shri RD
Barhatt, Joint Industries Commissioner, MSME & Startup Gujarat, said,
“As India eyes the 2036 Olympics, now is the time to align innovation with
athletic ambition. Startups can play a vital role in solving real problems
through tech, smart equipment, and esports. To match global momentum, our
sports sector must aim for a compounded annual growth of 14%. With the right
support, this market can generate employment for over one crore people. Before
launching policies, it’s essential to assess on-ground needs — and that’s where
startups step in as solution creators.”
Shri BH Talati, Director, Gujarat
Knowledge Society, said, “If Gujarat becomes a host for the 2036 Olympics,
it could catalyse massive infrastructure and economic growth. To seize this
opportunity, we must strengthen grassroots sports, attract serious investment,
and unlock the vast potential of sports entrepreneurship.”
The event features keynote addresses by
leading figures in the fields of sports, startups, and venture capital, and includes
exclusive lounge access for selected participants. During the opening ceremony,
at least 25 national and international athletes across disciplines such as
athletics, wrestling, kabaddi, and para sports were felicitated for their
achievements and contributions to Indian sports.
Furthermore, six international and six
national athletes were felicitated for their outstanding achievements.
Additionally, an MoU was signed between Shri Paras Shah, President of the
Cerebral Palsy Sports Federation of India, and Dr Ragin Shah, Provost of
Swarrnim Startup and Innovation University, to accelerate athletic initiatives
and foster inclusive sports development.
Shri Rishabh Jain, President, Swarrnim Startup and Innovation University, said, “As India’s sports landscape continues to evolve, the domain of sports entrepreneurship is gaining significant traction. The idea behind organising this event is to create a meaningful convergence of innovation and sports by providing a dynamic space for collaboration, exchange, and growth among budding entrepreneurs, sportspersons and investors.”
Swarrnim Startup and Innovation
University is India’s first university dedicated to entrepreneurship and
innovation.
Dr Ragin Shah, Provost, Swarrnim Startup
and Innovation University, said, “Sportspreneur 2025 aims to build a culture
where entrepreneurship and sport go hand in hand. As the sports sector rapidly
grows, events like this help young innovators build stronger teams, stay open
to feedback, and turn bold ideas into real-world impact — especially as India
looks ahead to opportunities like the 2036 Olympics.”
With academic offerings across
engineering, design, management, agriculture, paramedical sciences, and more,
the university’s mission is to inspire creative thinking and build future-ready
leaders through a startup-centric education model.
