India has millions of football fans. By some accounts, it’s 138.7 million, according to Nielsen’s 2024 data. By other accounts, it’s 350 million. Whatever the real figure, the fact remains that a majority of Indians are not watching our domestic league, the Indian Super League (ISL). They are watching leagues thousands of miles away. 

While the rights to broadcast European tournaments in India are worth $40 million, the valuation of the broadcast rights for our domestic club tournament, the Indian Super League (ISL), dropped by 97 percent from last season. 

Why is there such a mismatch?

To unpack this crisis of interest and investment, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri sits down with Ranjit Bajaj, the founder and owner of Minerva Punjab Football Club and a staunch advocate of grassroots football, for the second episode of Let's Talk About: Indian Football. Bajaj argues that the crisis in Indian football is a matter of quality and the talent ‘pipeline’. He believes Indian football is obsessed with the results of the senior team while ignoring the youth tiers that feed them.

“You want to break into the top 8 in Asia,” Bajaj insists. “Are you in the top 8 at the Under-16 level? No? What about Under-19? Still no? Under-23? No again. Then how do you expect to make it in senior football!”

He also describes a predatory, petty administrative culture in which funding is treated as a reward for existing success rather than a tool to create it. 

Turning the lens on the fans, Bajaj highlights the bitter irony of the Indian consumer, admitting that even he is susceptible to the pull of elite quality. He says, “There is a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Unfortunately, I'll be watching Barcelona vs Real Madrid and won't be watching my boys. Why?”

Abhinandan observes that “One Messi puts Argentina on the map. One Ronaldo puts Portugal on the map.” Without a domestic hero of that calibre, Indian fans have no anchor at home.

Bajaj remarks, “If we ever find an Indian with the calibre of Messi or Ronaldo, my work is done. I will retire that very day because my work is complete. He will take over the work; he will be inspiring others... If one of our own achieves it, our entire mindset changes. Then, we don't look back.” 

“Let me give you an example... Ten years ago, if you walked down the road with a javelin, the police would have locked you up. Today, there are ten Indians throwing over 80 meters, all because of Neeraj Chopra. One Indian declared, ‘I can do it,’” he adds.

Indian football needs that same Neeraj Chopra moment.