'Vision 2047': AIFF reveal detailed strategic roadmap to catapult Indian football

All India Football Federation unveiled its strategic romap with ‘Vision 2047’ in presence of various members of media in New Delhi on Saturday, January 7, 2023. long due romap, ‘Vision 2047’, hopes that in country’s centenary year of independence, India will also emerge as a new powerhouse of Asian football. 

Developed in conjunction with all stakeholders within Indian Football, romap has also sought and incorporated inputs from Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA. salient ambitions of romap are to see India among top four footballing nations in Asia, host one of top leagues in Asia, and create a vibrant footballing ecosystem. 

‘Vision 2047’ has been broken down, for diligent implementation, into six four-year strategic plans. first of se will look to cover period till 2026. “Vision 2047 paints a picture of where we want to position Indian Football at outset of a hundred years of our nation’s independence,” AIFF President Mr Kalyan Chaubey said at event. 

“At a time when India’s role is becoming increasingly prominent on world st, we embark on a journey as ambitious as our nation itself. However, this is t a journey for Federation alone, but one that will be traversed toger by every entity that is connected to Indian Football.

“With a shared vision and by sharing responsibility, we can implement targeted programmes to dress key areas identified in this romap and help build capacity for football ecosystem,” Mr Chaubey said. “I dream of reviving glory days of Indian Football as it was in 1950s and 60s and becoming a powerhouse of Asian football once again. It is our right to dream and our duty to do everything it takes to fulfil that dream. Toger, we can aspire to take Indian Football to peaks never scaled before.”

One of key aspects of romap is to ensure increased access to competition and games for players plying ir tre in country. By 2047, Federation wants to ensure players will be able to play at least 55 matches across different competitions every season.

“Transformation will begin at home through a reform of organisational culture,” Secretary General Dr Shaji Prabhakaran said, referring to a need for better governance of game across country. “A restructuring exercise will be carried out to streamline current operations and develop a team which opts industry’s best practices and is transparent in its dealings.”

"By 2036, centenary of Federation," Dr Prabhakaran said, "India will be among top seven countries in Asia, and a strong contender to qualify for World Cup on merit." 

Federation recognises that growth in modern sport requires a business outlook. Federation will dedicate an entire division — Business and marketing — to develop, cultivate and invite investment and partnerships in Indian Football. 

In lieu of same, Federation will support Member Associations with capacity building and help m rise in Football Pyramid by providing highly relevant ‘Support Solutions’. This support will enable m to be self-sufficient by 2027 and in turn help ecosystem thrive.

Federation observed that at grassroots, beautiful game, currently, has low participation relative to its size and population. re is a huge disparity in participation, and a lack of facilities and playfields in urban areas where children can come out and play. A lack of cohesion and focus between different stakeholders has led to significant gaps in funding. 

AIFF’s 2026 target is to reach 35 million children through grassroots programmes and implement vill grassroot programmes across 100 vills throughout India. flagship grassroots project will also aim to register 1 million registered players and provide football education to 25 million children through Football for Schools. 

Federation recognised that while women’s football has been growing rapidly across world, it has previously received very little attention in India. weak ecosystem needs specific solutions to help increase participation and competency across pyramid. Some of proposed solutions include better option of women’s football by clubs across different levels, incentivising role of coaches, referees and match commissioners for women, as well as providing a minimum salary to women’s players. 

By 2026 — period of first strategic plan — Federation will ensure creation of a four-level league table pyramid, top of which will be occupied by Indian Women’s League (featuring 10 teams), followed by 2nd Division (8 teams). In dition, re will be five zonal leagues with eight teams each. In dition, a new women’s youth league structure has been proposed, which will see players across different groups play a minimum of 14 matches. Federation will ensure that a minimum of 20 states implement new women’s youth structures by 2027.

On men’s side, current strategic plan will ensure creation of a three-tier national league pyramid with 40 teams. Hero Indian Super League and Hero I-League will boast of 14 teams each while Hero I-League 2nd Division will consist of 12 teams. A state championship structure will see city and district leagues feed into state championships. A revamped men’s youth league structure will see local state youth league and elite youth leagues will run simultaneously. Clubs and acemies will participate in both with winners of state youth leagues qualifying for Elite youth league. 

One of cornerstones of romap is creation of a national playing philosophy, which will be developed over time after consultation, observation and exploration. Subsequently, ‘Coach Education Program’ structure will be developed in line with our ‘Indian National Football Philosophy’. improvement of footballing quality at all levels of ecosystem demands better coaching and with that in mind, romap targets creating 50,000 active coaches — almost 4,500 with a minimum AIFF C License — across country.

Federation observed that talent development ecosystem is currently informal, with clubs and Federation bodies all largely working in silos without a systematic or uniform approach. AIFF proposes to change this by creating a data driven scouting structure from Elite Youth League System for its National Teams. Clubs will drive talent identification at grassroots unto Elite Youth structure.

An increased focus will be put on utilising FIFA windows across groups to provide exposure to players in national teams, with mega camps (two or more groups) scheduled at least twice a year. Qualification for FIFA U17 World Cups for Both Men and Women on merit is a key part of nda.

Infrastructure is key to achieving many long-term goals. Federation has observed that re has, over past deces, been a reduction in playgrounds in urban areas. Many top professional clubs do t yet own football infrastructure. Federation plans to conduct a pan-India infrastructure census by 2025.

Subsequently, it will put in place policy interventions that will incentivise government authorities, football clubs, corporates, and private investors to invest in infrastructure. A gring and licensing criteria will be in place by 2024, and a mega football park will be formalised by 2026. AIFF National Centre of Excellence will be fully functional by 2026.  

A key focus of Strategic Romap, Dr Prabhakaran said, is on “increasing commercial viability by creating ecomic value for all our stakeholders, especially players.” Federation will create effective feedback mechanisms that will ensure it is among best government sports organisations in country. romap also lists creation of new assets in football, futsal and beach soccer to eng sponsors and diversify target audiences to broen reach of Indian Football.