Interview: Founders of Game Changer India talking about the sport industry and their venture

The company is also known for its consulting. Is this done on a case to case basis or do you work with your clients charging them on the number of consulting hours?

Consulting services form the core of our business offerings. We evaluate our client’s requirements and objectives and accordingly, we suggest customized solutions for that particular client. Our business model varies depending on the industry, scope and size of the project – it can either be based on a retainer, a fixed fee based project or one that is based on the number of billable hours that we spend.

What role does each one of you play in the company?

As a Founder Partner of the Firm, Amrut is responsible for shaping the vision and strategy of the Firm, apart from also spearheading it’s Cricket and Football Business Consulting Practices. Prantik, the Managing Partner, spearheads the Firm’s day to day business operations, and is currently spearheading its Sponsorship Consulting and Digital Marketing practices. Our third colleague, Aditya Shamlal currently spearheads the Firm’s content initiatives in his role as a Managing Editor. Aditya is also utilizing his experience in the field of dispute resolution to help structure a specialized Anti-Doping Education and Advisory Practice.

Can you explain more about the work you are doing with anti-doping. Do sportsmen in India have enough awareness of Anti-Doping?

Our objective is to share knowledge on the complex regulatory framework that underpins the fight against doping. Our Managing Editor, Aditya Shamlal shares his research and thoughts on doping-related matters through periodical posts on the “Anti-Doping Monitor” section of Gamechanger’s proprietary content platform, www.gamechangerindia.com. While Sports Governing Bodies across the world are increasingly alert to the requirements of educating sportspersons on the dangers of doping, Indian administrators are behind the curve in terms of the fight against doping. According to a recent report by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), India has the second highest number of dope cheats in the world. Forty-three Indians are currently serving suspensions for doping, just behind Russia, 44 of whose athletes are on the suspended list. This is clear evidence of the fact that there is still a lot to be done by Sports Governing Bodies in India to counter the menace of doping.

Do you think social media is a massive influencer in the sports business?

Globally, digital media has and is completely revolutionizing the way sports related content is being created, co-created, distributed, consumed, influenced and advocated. Social media, in particular, provides a wonderful bridge that has allowed fans and sports stars to get up close and personal, something that was unfathomable even a few years ago. We believe it is not a fad and that this medium is here to stay and further transform and influence the sports industry. We hope to stay on top of the game to be able to constantly educate and advise our clientele on how they can maximize opportunities in the digital arena.

Can Gamechanger be considered a corporate initiative? What is the work that you do with corporates?

As discussed earlier, ‘Corporate Partnerships’ is one of the key pillars of our business. We believe that the best opportunities are created and harvested only when multiple nodes in an ecosystem work in cohesion, with a shared goal in mind. Through our extensive network, we connect like-minded, complimentary businesses to help create/further new sporting properties, promote merchandising deals, cross-promote their respective services, and foster joint ventures in the sports industry, with a view towards enhancing the competitiveness of the Asian sports industry. Corporates are a vital component of the sporting ecosystem, as seen in international as well as domestic sport, and their strengths need to be harnessed to maximize the outcome for the sports industry.

A lot of your work revolves around legalities is sports. How important is law in sports? What do you have to say about the impending implementation of the sports bill in India?

Amrut continues to be involved in the practice of sports law, wherein he assists different stakeholders in the sports industry on their contractual and regulatory requirements. There is no doubt that a healthy respect for laws and regulations is a sine qua non for the growth of any industry, and it is no different with the sports industry. As is evident from the recent controversies that have gripped the IPL, the Indian sports industry has a fair distance to cover in terms of understanding sport-specific rules and regulations and adhering to them, apart from always adhering to the laws of the land, whether they pertain to corporate governance, foreign exchange or laws of contract.

As regards the implementation of the sports bill in India, firstly, it will require a huge amount of political will for politicians to pass the bill. Thereafter, the political class will also need to step aside or reduce their involvement in sports administration, and focus on more burning issues that confront India today, and leave the administration of sport to professional sports administrators, marketers and ex-players. Only then will India actually witness a true transformation in its sporting culture.