Former COO of Indian Premier League (IPL) Sundar Raman will join Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) as CEO of its sports business in India. In his new role Raman will be responsible for consolidation and integration of RIL's sports portfolio including its foundation activities in sports. In addition to the existing sports properties of RIL, Raman will drive newer avenues of growth in this area.
He will also be responsible for integration of its sports properties with the yet-to-be-launched digital service Jio.
“Reliance’s existing sports properties coupled with its Jio digital services provides newer areas of growth. RIL has a huge aspiration in the sports area. The opportunity to be engaged in integrating the sports portfolio and make sports also an integral element in RIL’s growth will be an exciting journey,” said Raman.
In 2010, RIL and IMG Worldwide, a sports marketing and management company, formed a joint-venture IMG-Reliance Pvt Ltd to develop, market and manage sports and entertainment properties in India.
The JV was formed to provide infrastructure and coaching facilities in the country to create a talent pool which will allow it to operate sports and entertainment assets in the country.
The soccer tourney called Hero India Super League is one of the popular sports asset owned and managed by the company in a joint-venture with Star India, a 21st Century Fox Inc company.
Star is owned by 21st Century Fox and controlled by Rupert Murdoch, who also leads News Corp, the parent of this website.
Moreover, RIL owns Mumbai-based IPL franchise Mumbai Indians through its 100 per cent subsidiary IndiaWin Sports Pvt Ltd.