'Kolkata Thunderbolts are uniting India through volleyball': Pawan and Sumedh Patodia

Kolkata Thunderbolts are confident of repeating their stint as champions in Prime Volleyball League (PVL) Season 2, feels Chairman & Co-Owner Pawan Kumar Patodia.

A chartered accountant by profession, Mr. Patodia began his entrepreneurial journey in the timber, veneer, and plywood industries.

The decision to buy Kolkata Thunderbolts even took his own son, Sumedh Patodia, by surprise. (Sumedh has since joined as Kolkata Thunderbolts' Team Director.)

In a freewheeling interaction with Sportskeeda's Business of Sports, Mr. Pawan and Mr. Sumedh Patodia outlined Kolkata Thunderbolts' vision to make volleyball a household sport, not just in Kolkata, but across the country. Mr. Pawan Patodia explained this goal by saying:

"Our slogan last year was 'khelbe bangla jeet be bangla' meaning 'Bengal is going to play and Bengal is going to win.' This year…we said we are not going to defend our title…we will be doing something bigger for the sport and we are going to make our slogan 'uniting India through volleyball.'"

As a key step in achieving the aforementioned grand objective, Kolkata Thunderbolts has already signed players from 13 different states across India.

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Kolkata Thunderbolts: Promoting volleyball in a football-loving city

Volleyball is said to be more popular in South India – which explains the fact that five out of the eight teams in PVL are below the Vindhyas.

But buoyed by Kolkata Thunderbolts' title triumph in PVL's inaugural edition, the team is committing heavily to the grassroots development of volleyball in football-loving Kolkata, which includes local job creation as well.

Innovative strategies such as promoting volleyball during heavily attended Durga Puja festivities are making Kolkata Thunderbolts' star players household names. These spikers are, in turn, repaying the management's trust by helping the team scout the best nationwide talent to join their ranks.

On Kolkata Thunderbolts' evolution from Season 1 to Season 2, Mr. Pawan Patodia said:

“Off the court, we going in a very systematic manner. We have taken the best of the physios, best of the trainers, we have taken the help of Hudl – which will be providing data on a daily basis.”

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PVL's one-of-a-kind ownership model for India

PVL is modeled along the lines of the NBA, with franchise owners also part owners of the overall league. The Patodias feel that such a model makes sound business sense and encourages them to stay committed for the long term.

Comparing the path-breaking ownership structure of PVL with that of other professional leagues in India, Mr. Sumedh Patodia noted:

"The whole idea of 'this is the League – you are the franchisee' [and] 'we are different,' and 'I will look out for my interest and you will look out for your interest'…that entire business model is not flying very well. The burden then falls on the franchisee and then eventually at some point every corporate will start tapping out."

Elaborating on the financial rationale behind buying a PVL franchise, Mr. Pawan Patodia revealed:

"They gave me a budget that…there will be a loss of Rs 5 crore per annum at least for first three years. So I said 15 crores is a very small sum for learning the entire process of conducting a league. In IPL…60% of entire sponsorship money is kept by BCCI, [only] 40% is distributed. Here, [in PVL] the entire money is distributed among the franchises."

Strong viewership numbers (41 million in Season 1), high audience-retention time, and explosive growth potential for a TV-friendly sport, are some of the other tailwind factors the Patodias are citing to highlight the rising brand value of PVL and Kolkata Thunderbolts.

The second season of PVL is scheduled to start on February 4, 2023, and will be broadcast in India on Sony Sports Network, and on Volleyball World outside the Indian subcontinent.