Academics

Programme offered under an agreement with Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development- an Institute of National Importance

The 2-year MBA programme will incorporate the requisite business management courses along with comprehensive information and knowledge about sports, esports and online gaming businesses, and the management of various companies in these industries. Business courses during this 4-semester programme will include Principles of Business Management, Finance, Economic Principles, Marketing Fundamentals, Human Resource Management, Leadership & Governance, Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Specialised courses on Sports, Esports, Online Gaming and various business aspects related to it will provide the students the knowledge and depth to take on premier roles in these dynamic industries. The aim of the MBA programme is to create future leaders with an emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship for the sports and esports industries.

Overview of the Indian Sports and Esports Industries

The sports and esports industries in India are growing at a rapid pace. While the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the largest cricket league and one of the biggest sports leagues in the world, many more sports such as football, kabaddi, badminton, volleyball, motorsports, hockey, contact sports, golf, tennis are growing at a healthy pace, and the need for sports business professionals to manage companies and other entities is increasing. India’s sports media and sponsorship industry reached INR95 billion in FY2020 and is expected to reach INR150 billion by 2024, according to a Sporjo-FICCI report. The Indian sports and fitness goods market reached a value of INR134.70 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% during 2021-2026 to reach INR221 billion, according to a report by the IMARC Group.

Similarly, in esports, the tremendous growth of many new-age unicorn companies has opened multiple opportunities for professionals.  The online gaming market, including esports, reached INR43.8 billion in FY2018 and is expected to grow further at a CAGR of 22.1 per cent during FY18-2023, and reach INR118.8 billion, according to a KPMG-IFSG report. The number of gamers has increased multi-fold, and this has also led to similar growth in companies in the industry over the same period. Rapid growth in digital infrastructure, favourable demographics and rising disposable income, increase in the interest of international e-sports organisations in India, and the rise in investments in the sector are the major reasons for this growth. While the esports market is at a nascent stage now, it is expected to grow five-fold over the next few years, thereby resulting in a sizeable rise in the revenues of the entities within this sector.

Sports and esports are sunrise industries in India and the exponential growth trend expected in the future will ensure that sports management professionals will be in high demand. The world of sports and esports is a very dynamic one and the professionals employed in these industries need to keep abreast of developments on a continuous basis. Apart from the developments in these industries, it is also important to be aware of the overall social, economic, political, and technology-related factors affecting the industries. The growth is resulting in sports and esports becoming very viable career options. However, there is a lack of knowledgeable and skilled professionals to cater to the demand in these industries. The Whistling Woods International School of Sports & Esports Management is at the forefront of developing the right kind of management professionals who are in sync with the requirements of both these sectors and can hence carve a rich value-driven professional career in these vibrant industries.

The 2-year Master of Business Administration in Sports & Esports Management has been designed to create job-ready management professionals for the Sports, Esports, and Online Gaming industries.

The course structure and summary are as follows:

Management & Core (MC) Courses

The Management courses will include business courses such as Principles of Business Management, Finance, Economic Principles, Marketing Management, Human Resource Management, Leadership & Governance, Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Promotion. These courses are essential to provide students with knowledge to function effectively in a managerial position. This knowledge and training impart them with the confidence to run a business organisation successfully.

The Core courses are specialised and comprehensive ones on Sports, Esports, Online Gaming and various business aspects related to it that will provide the students the knowledge and depth to take on premier roles in these dynamic industries. The curriculum is aligned to meet the needs of the industry and provide students with the requisite training to be valuable as managers to any stakeholder in the business of sports. The aim of the MBA programme is to create future leaders with an emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship.