Rs 16 lakh for an astrologer to pick the playing XI. At the same time, the All India Football Federation’s budget has shrunk by nearly 70 percent – from Rs 30 crore in 2019-20 to just Rs 8 crore in 2024-25.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, with a lower FIFA ranking and a fraction of India’s population, spends nearly six times more on football.

So what exactly is going wrong with Indian football?

In Episode 3 of Let’s Talk About: Indian Football, Abhinandan Sekhri is joined by Jayadev Mahapatra – a grassroots reformer who’s been reshaping football development in Odisha.

From the lack of sports teachers in schools to broken talent pipelines, from ISL clubs benching young prospects to the absence of a street-football culture that powers nations like Brazil and Argentina – this conversation dives deep into why India continues to lag behind.

If the system is failing young talent at every level, can going “local” actually save Indian football?

Tune in.

Click here to understand Ardor Football Academy’s journey and support the team.

Produced by Ashish Anand. Edited by Satish Kumar.