Conclaves

Mahatma Education Society’s Pillai Group of Institutions organized a FIFA/CIES/PILLAI Sports Summit on the theme “Sport and the Development of a Nation” on 28th February, 2019 at Hotel Taj Mahal, Mansingh Road, New Delhi. The Summit was inaugurated by Chief Guest Padmashri Shiny Wilson (4 time Olympian and Asian Games Gold Medalist). The Brochure of the prestigious PILLAI/FIFA/CIES Executive Programme in Sports Management to be conducted by the Pillai Institute of management Studies & research was released on the occasion by the Chief Guest in the presence of prominent personalities form the world of sport.

The Summit brought to fore the challenges and opportunities offered by the sports industry for the development of India. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Wilson emphasized on the need for strengthening sports at the grassroots level by instilling a sporting culture among our youth. She mentioned the role played by initiatives such as Khelo India that have given the right impetus in this direction. The Guest of Honour, Mr. Kuldeep Vats, Vice-President, Indian Olympics Association & President, Delhi Olympics Association, opined that the increased level of participation in different sports at the Olympics and the improved sporting ecosystem in the country point to a bright future for the sports industry in India.

The prestigious collaboration of the Pillai Group with FIFA/CIES University Network, offers scope for a two-way transfer of competencies and sharing of best practices. Being a part of the FIFA/CIES University Network will allow the Pillai Group to become a leader in the field of sport management in South Asia and enable the group to nurture and develop skilled sport managers at the level of federations, clubs, small sports associations, government, corporates and local sports entities.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. K. M. Vasudevan Pillai Chairman, Pillai Group of Institutions highlighted the crucial role played by sports in the development of nations worldwide while noting that it was no different in India. He said ‘Our partnership with FIFA/CIES has come at a crucial time where our country is all set to take its sports ecosystem towards a new direction. We are proud that our alumni include nationally and internationally known athletes who have participated at the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian Super League (ISL)’.

At the inaugural session, Prof. Pierre Lanfranchi, Scientific Coordinator at CIES, Switzerland, emphasized the need for such training in sports organizations in the Indian subcontinent. “The Indian sub-continent is witnessing an increasing demand for sports management professionals in recent times. At CIES, we developed the FIFA/CIES Executive Programme in Sports Management with the objective of equipping such professionals involved in the various sporting federations, associations and clubs with the necessary management tools while taking into account the specificities and realities of the local environment. It is a pleasure to associate with the Pillai Group of Institutions in launching this Programme in the Indian sub-continent. We will be able to leverage their expertise in management education as well as their contribution to sports in our endeavour to develop sports management professionals primarily for this geographic area”.

The inaugural session was followed by two panel discussions on “Khelo India and its impact on sports development in India” and “Beyond Playing: Careers in Sports”. The panelists on the Panel Discussion on ‘Khelo India and its impact on sports development in India’ were Mr. Pratik Jumar (director, Sashakt Foundation), Mr. J. S. Waraich (DGM (CC) Head Sports, ONGC), Grp. Capt. Deepak Ahluwalia (Secretary, IAF Sports Control Board) and Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran (President, Football Delhi). The discussion as moderated by Mr. Sujit Panigrahi, Founder & CEO-Sequoia Fitness and Sports Technology. The panelists on the Panel Discussion on ‘Beyond Playing – Careers in Sports’ were Ms. Shiney Wilson (Former Olympian and Asian Games Gold Medalist), Mr. Dhiraj Malhotra, (CEO Delhi Capitals), Mr. Ashish Shah (CEO Delhi Dynamos), Captain Bahl (Secretary Indian Navy Sports Control Board) and Mr. Novy Kapadia (Sports Commentator and Senior Journalist). The discussion as moderated by Mr. Nikhil Sharma, CEO-zlait Sports Management.

The panelists, all prominent personalities in the realm of sports deliberated on the respective topics from the perspective of sports as a vehicle for development. The speakers in one voice felt that the heightened level of interest in different sports in India and the increase in media participation fueled by enormous consumer demand are positive signals for the sector. Programmes such as these fulfill the demand for well-trained individuals in sport related fields and create employment in a multitude of professional settings especially as sports managers, directors, promoters, marketers and administrators.

While concluding the event, Mr. Franav Pillai, Director of the PILLAI/FIFA/CIES Executive Programme added enthusiastically, “It is a matter of pride for us to be associated with FIFA/CIES that enables us to significantly enhance our contribution to sports development”.

Mahatma Education Society’s Pillai Group of Institutions organized a FIFA/CIES/PILLAI Sports Conclave on the theme “Business and Sports: Creating Win-Win Partnerships” on 19th March, 2019 at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Bengaluru. The objective of the Sports Conclave was to understand the linkage between the corporate and sports sectors. The Conclave was supported by International Women’s Federation of Commerce and Industry (IWFCI), India National Chapter. Dr. Daphne Pillai, Secretary, Mahatma Education Society, is also currently the President of IWFCI. Welcoming the audience, Dr. Pillai explained the rationale for IWFCI to partner for this Conclave stating that Chamber’s such as IWFCI can play a catalytic role in conveying the information about such a unique executive programme in sports management to the women employers and employees across various sectors. Elaborating on MES’s achievements in sports she noted that being part of the FIFA/CIES University Network will allow the Pillai Group to become a leader in the field of sport management in South Asia.

The Sports Conclave was inaugurated by Dr. Jeethendra Shetty, Deputy Director, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, Karnataka State. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shetty was appreciative of the collaboration of an Indian educational institute with a prestigious international body of the calibre of FIFA/CIES. He commended the role of the corporate sector in the development of sports right from the grassroots level. Giving his blessings to the newly launched sports management programme, he hoped the country would benefit by such initiatives.

The Special Guest at the event, Mr. Charu Sharma – acclaimed sports anchor/commentator, sports management professional and Founder of the Pro-Kabaddi League shared his perspective on the corporate sector’s involvement in the development of Indian Sports. Noting that the burgeoning sports industry needs a large number of qualified professionals at all levels, he lauded the efforts of the Pillai Group in bringing such international programmes to the Indian subcontinent.

The Guest of Honour, Ms. Shukla Bose, Founder & CEO, Parikrma Humanity Foundation, spoke about her experiences with engaging the underserved children in rural and urban areas through education. She stressed upon the importance of sports as a developmental tool and illustrated this with her own Foundation’s initiatives such as United Parikrma Sports Programme.

The inaugural session ended with a symbolic gesture of signing a football by all the dignitaries on the dais. Delivering the Vote of Thanks, Rema Ramchandran, Director – Services, IWFCI India thanked all the dignitaries and guests and said that with the upcoming Women’s U-17 World Cup and many more prestigious sporting events being hosted in India, it is initiatives such as these that will encourage women to embark on careers in sports.

The inaugural session was followed by a Panel Discussion on “Business and Sports : Creating Win-Win Partnerships”. Recent developments have shown encouraging trends in this beneficial linkage and the Conclave brought together professionals who gave interesting insights into the way forward for both the sectors. The panelists were Ms. Ashwini Nachappa – Arjuna Awardee and Founder of Karaumbiah’s Academy for Learning and Sports, (KALS, Coorg), Ms. Deepika Das Periera – Lead – Client Servicing, JSW Sports Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Adhip Bhandary – Founder / Director, Bangalore Youth Football League and Mr. Dhruv Mullick -Partner, zlait Sports Bangalore LLP. The speakers commended the Pillai Group for such an opportune initiative. They emphasized that the Corporate Sector is a key stakeholder in the Indian sporting ecosystem. Each panelist gave exemplars from his / her own experiences on the win-win nature of corporate and sports sector partnerships. The panel discussion served its purpose of bringing out significant insights that would help the Pillai Group in localization of its programme’s content.

Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included Capt. Dileep Kumar (International Kayaker & Asian Games Medalist) – Treasurer, Indian Canoeing & Kayaking Association, Secretary, Karnataka Association & Executive Member, Karnataka Olympics Association, and Mr. Rakesh Radhakrishnan, Head (Operations-South India) from Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools among others. Each dignitary welcomed this unique partnership between Pillai Group and FIFA/CIES and were gracious in extending their support to the Executive Programme in Sports Management.

While concluding the event, Mr. Franav Pillai, Director of the PILLAI/FIFA/CIES Executive Programme added enthusiastically, “Our partnership with FIFA/CIES has come at a crucial time where our country is all set to take its sports ecosystem towards a new direction. This prestigious collaboration will enable the Pillai group to significantly contribute to sports management in India. Partnering with the corporate sector will reap rich benefits for the participants of the Programme”.

The Conclave was well attended by over 100 sports professionals from the corporate sector, students pursuing sports education and members of IWFCI.

Mahatma Education Society’s (MES) Pillai Group of Institutions organised the FIFA/CIES/PILLAI Sports Summit on the theme “Sports Management as a Career: A fascinating opportunity” in Kochi on the 27th March, 2019. The Summit was a part of a series of Sports Management events organised by the Pillai Group in the lead up to the inaugural edition of the FIFA/CIES Executive Programme in Sports Management that will be conducted at the Pillai College Campus in Mumbai starting in September 2019.

The objective of the Sports Summit was to understand the linkage between the corporate and sports sectors. Recent developments have shown encouraging trends in this direction and the Summit brought together professionals who gave interesting insights into the way forward for both the sectors.

Welcoming the audience, Mr. Padmakshan Padmanabhan, Director (Sports) at MES, who is also the Administrative Coordinator of the newly-launched Executive Programme in Sports Management,explained the rationale for such a summit. The recent growth in Sports Industry in India has provided immense opportunities to both players and non-playing professionals to make a career in this field.

Mr. Padmanabhan elaborated on MES’s achievements in sports over the past four decades and noted that being part of the FIFA/CIES University Network will allow the Pillai Group to become a leader in the field of sports management in South Asia.

The Introductory Address was delivered by Mr. Franav Pillai, Dy CEO, MES, and Director of the PILLAI/FIFA/CIES Executive Programme. Mr Pillai expounded upon the commitment of MES to sports and how it led to the tie-up with FIFA/CIES. Explaining the need for such an initiative he said “Our partnership with FIFA/CIES has come at a crucial time where our country is all set to take its sports ecosystem towards a new direction. This prestigious collaboration will enable the Pillai group to significantly contribute to sports management in India. Partnering with the corporate sector will reap rich benefits for the participants of the Programme”.

The Kochi Summit was inaugurated by the first woman athlete to win a Gold Medal at Asian Games on Indian soil, Padma Shri (Ms.) M. D. Valsamma. Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Valsamma noted the collaboration of an Indian educational institute with a prestigious international body of the calibre of FIFA/CIES is good news for the country. She was appreciative of the emerging scenario in Indian sports & games. Blessing the newly launched sports management programme, she felt sure that the country would benefit by such an initiative.

The Special Guest at the event, Mr. I. M. Vijayan, whose illustrious career saw the birth of a true son-of-the-soil hero, spoke of his transition from India’s leading football player to other domains related to the sport, including founding a sports equipment company, a football school, coaching, role as national observer for football and, most recently, the promoter of an entertainment company revolving around football. He noted that the Indian sports industry is rapidly growing and will continue to need qualified personnel at every level.

Arjuna Awardee, volleyball international, Mr. Tom Joseph also graced the dais. Along with him, other dignitaries who graced the occasion included:

Mr. Tinu Yohanan – Former Indian Cricketer
Mr. Anil Kumar – Secretary, KFA
Mr. Jayesh George – Secretary, KCA
Dr. Prince Mattom – Secretary, KBA
Lt. Cdr. Manoj Vishwakarma – Secretary, Indian Navy Sports C C
Mr. Bijoy Babu – Convenor, KVCC
Mr. Shall Basker – VP, Thrissur Distt. Volleyball Asso.
Adv. Srinijan – President, District Sports Association

Each dignitary welcomed this unique partnership between Pillai Group and FIFA/CIES and was gracious in extending support to the Executive Programme in Sports Management.

After the inauguration, the stage was set for an interactive session on the theme of the Summit: “Sports Management as a Career: A fascinating opportunity”. Mr. Franav Pillai and Mr. Padmakshan Padmanabhan were joined on the stage by Dr. Satish K. Nair, Director, Pillai Institute of Management Studies and Research. The presentation gave a glimpse of the world of sports management and enticed the audience with figures of growth and size of the market as well as the gamut of opportunities that lay in store for those with a passion for the sector.

The Pillai Group of Institutions organized two events in Kolkata on 7th May, 2019, as part of a series of events to promote the inaugural edition of the FIFA/CIES Executive Programme in Sports Management. The event brought together eminent sports professionals, administrators and enthusiasts of the city who were all interested in knowing more about the prestigious sports management programme that Pillai would be launching in September 2019 in Mumbai, India.

[A] Press Meet for Sports Journalists: Emerging Careers in Sports Industry
[B] Presentation to Senior Office-Bearers of the Sporting Fraternity under the aegis of Calcutta Rowing Club

The Press Meet was conducted at the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club, on the theme: “Emerging Careers in Sports Industry”. The PILLAI team consisting of Dr. Satish Nair, Mr. Padmakshan P., Dr. Nivedita Shreyans and Ms. Swati Ghosh interacted with about 40 sports journalists representing major press, TV and emerging media channels. The event was marked by a presentation and interactive session followed by a networking lunch and saw enthusiastic participation by all the journalists, with many conducting one-on-one interviews with the PILLAI team members.

The Press Meet was followed by a special, by-invitation-only presentation reserved for dignitaries from the sporting domain in Kolkata. A select group of top sports administrators was invited to a High Tea at Calcutta Rowing Club, whose Honorary Secretary, Mr. Chandan Roy Chaudhury, graciously agreed to play host to the event. Along with Mr. Roy Chaudhury, the presentation was attended by Mr. Subrata Dutta, Vice-President, All India Football Federation, Mr. Ajit Banerjee, President, Bengal Olympic Association, Mr. Utpal Ganguly, Secretary, IFA of Bengal, Mr. Debasis Dutta, Finance Secretary, Mohun Bagan, Mr. Debabrata Sarkar, E C Member, East Bengal, Mr. Munal Chattopadhyay, President, Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club, Mr. Ratan Chakraborty, Senior Sports Journalist, Ananda Bazar Patrika and Mr. Debasish Dey of Bengal Olympic Association. The meet was a great success with each dignitary congratulating the Pillai Group on bringing the prestigious FIFA/CIES Executive course to India and at the same time stressing the need for more such courses to be conducted across the nation.