Top Athlete Management Companies in India

Any athlete who attains success in their respective sport garners a lot of fame and popularity on a national and international level. In the modern-day of social media and extensive digital coverage, the commercial success of an athlete’s personal brand and image has sky-rocketed.

Sponsorships, endorsements, contract negotiations, and what not. Their off-ground commitments have increased four-fold, which is why they need to turn to professional management.

Individual celebrity and talent managers, as well as talent management companies, have become the go-to solution for many athletes to handle their off-ground life.

But what exactly do these talent management companies do with regards to athlete management? Let’s dive deep into the realm of athlete management while also exploring the top athlete management companies currently managing elite players in India.

 Also Read: Top 20 Sports Companies in India Every Future Sports Manager Must Know 

How Athlete Management Companies Help Athletes

From contract negotiations to handling social media presence for maintaining a good public image, an athlete management company helps players in many ways.

Negotiating Contracts

This is one crucial aspect for which an athlete needs a manager or an agent. In the case of an athlete management company, they have a dedicated manager for each athlete who’ll help them negotiate deals with teams — from sourcing the best deals to the vetting of the final contracts.

Securing Endorsements and Sponsorships

Securing endorsements and sponsorships is also a major task for an athlete management company. Mapping the right kind of brand for their player is important for which they need to understand the athlete’s personality as well as their public perception.

Managing Social Media Presence

With athletes being in the public eye all the time, managing their social media presence is vital. From building the player’s personal brand on social media via endorsements and collaborations to moderating their perspective comments and revelations about their personal lives all falls under the purview of an athlete manager.

Crisis Management & PR

Controversies on the sporting and personal front are not uncommon for any athlete. This is where their image and public perception is at its most vulnerable and can be the cause of their career’s downfall.

Herein, an athlete management company will play a crucial role in handling the crisis with diplomacy and PR statements to defuse the situation and protect the athlete’s image.

Managing Travel Logistics

With players constantly on the move nationally & internationally, coordinating their travel plans and bookings needs a dedicated person to keep an eye on, which is where an athlete manager may come in handy.

Financial Consulting

With modern-day athletes expanding their interests into building a fortune off the ground, athlete management companies do use their contacts & business acumen to suggest good investments in sports teams, consumer brands, entrepreneurial startups & much more.

Now, let’s dive into the details of some of the prominent athlete management companies currently active in India and managing some elite champions across various sports.

Top Athlete Management Companies in India

Baseline Ventures 

Founded in 2014, Baseline Ventures has been a leading sports company in India, with athlete management as one of its vertical. In the past decade, Baseline has expanded its wings across various sports.

They first started athlete management in 2016, onboarding India’s badminton stars PV Sindhu (now with Cornerstone) and Srikanth Kidambi. In 2017, they doubled down on that milestone to sign Indian women cricketer Smriti Mandhana, along with India’s former hockey captain Sardar Singh.

With years gone by, they have signed athletes from various sports such as swimming, badminton, shooting, squash, hockey, and many more.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• Smriti Mandhana (Cricket)

• Abhinav Bindra (Shooting)

• Ravindra Jadeja (Cricket)

• PR Sreejesh (Hockey)

• Srikanth Kidambi (Badminton)

• Nikhat Zareen (Boxing)

• Vinesh Phogat (Wrestling)

• Chirag Shetty (Badminton)

• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (Badminton)

• Richa Ghosh (Cricket)

• Sajan Prakash (Swimming)

• Tania Sachdev (Chess)

and many more

Other Ventures

• Brand & IP Licensing for Leagues & Sports Events

• Digital Media & Content Creation

• Prime Volleyball League

Cornerstone 

Since 2008, Cornerstone has established itself as one of the leading brand names in the talent management sphere. In 2020, Dharma Productions entered into a strategic alliance with Cornerstone to form the Dharma Cornerstone Agency (DCA). That’s why, besides athletes, they also manage celebrities in the entertainment world, including movie stars, influencers and musical icons.

As for athletes, they provide a holistic support from PR and social media strategy to brand endorsements and investment deals. They also provide legal representation to their athletes during controversies.

Cornerstone manages many leading athletes & some of India’s top cricketers, such as Virat Kohli has been associated with them. Beyond cricket, though, they manage many other athletes across various sports.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• Virat Kohli (Cricket) — till 2023, currently managed by Sporting Beyond

• PV Sindhu (Badminton)

• Sania Mirza (Tennis)

• Manu Bhaker (Shooting)

• Lakshya Sen (Badminton)

• Abhay Singh (Squash)

• Shriya Lohia (Motorsport)

• Puja Tomar (Mixed Martial Arts)

• Shiksha Jain (Golf)

• Kush Maini (Motorsport) — via Cornerstone-Meraki

and many more

Other Ventures

• Brand Consultancy

• Business Ventures

• E-sports

• Content Production

• Event Management

• Team Sponsorships

• Digital Solutions

• Casting

• Wealth Management

JSW Sports 

JSW Sports is one of the most prominent names in the Indian sports industry, not just managing athletes but also owning some major sports league franchises. Established in 2012 under the JSW conglomerate, they have expanded their geographical presence across the globe but prioritize promoting Indian athletes and sports.

Neeraj Chopra has been the poster boy of JSW Sports’ athlete pool since 2017, even before he clinched the Olympic Gold in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics. In 2023, they announced him as the brand ambassador for the JSW Group’s steel, cement and paint businesses.

Besides him, JSW Sports also has Indian women cricketers like Jemimah Rodrigues and Axar Patel on their roster among a plethora of sporting stars from cricket, track & field, wrestling, squash, and boxing.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• Neeraj Chopra (Track & Field)

• Jemimah Rodrigues (Cricket)

• Axar Patel (Cricket)

• Shafali Varma (Cricket)

• Sakshi Malik (Wrestling)

• Avinash Sable (Track & Field)

• Ramit Tandon (Squash)

• Anahat Singh (Squash)

• Antim Panghal (Wrestling)

• Preeti Sai Pawar (Boxing)

and many more

Other Ventures

JSW Sports is a stakeholder in the Delhi Capitals franchise in partnership with the GMR Group, which owns teams in the IPL as well WPL. JSW also owns the Haryana Steelers team in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).

Besides those, the Bengaluru Football Club in the Indian Super League (ISL), the Soorma Hockey Club in the Hockey India League and the Pretoria Capitals team in the SA20 league in South Africa are also under JSW Sports’ ownership.

RISE Worldwide

RISE Worldwide is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited and has become another top name in India’s sports industry besides JSW. While sports is their core venture, they are also foraying into lifestyle and entertainment with its verticals like broadcast production, event management and sponsorships.

As for its athlete pool, RISE mainly manages top Indian men cricketers, courtesy of Reliance’s ownership stake in the IPL and now global T20 league franchise Mumbai Indians.

India’s star T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma is the top name on RISE’s athlete management portfolio. His fellow India and Mumbai Indians teammates Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are also under RISE’s management.

Prominent Cricketers Managed

• Rohit Sharma

• Jasprit Bumrah

• Hardik Pandya

• Shreyas Iyer

• Suryakumar Yadav

• Krunal Pandya

• Ishan Kishan

• Tilak Varma

• Sai Sudharshan

Other Ventures

• Sponsorship Management

• Licensing

• Events

• Broadcast Production

• Consulting

Also Read: Career Opportunities in Sports Management 

IOS Sports & Entertainment 

Founded in 2005, IOS Sports & Entertainment is one of the veteran players of India’s sports industry and has been representing over 150 Indian athletes across a variety of sports — be it track & field, hockey, wrestling, table tennis, chess, boxing, weightlifting, or para-athletics.

Mirabai Chanu has been under IOS Sports’ management since 2018, even before her Tokyo Olympics success. Meanwhile, Indian veteran boxer Vijender Singh is also on their roster.

Para athletes like Sumit Antil, Nishad Kumar, and Nitesh Kumar also find their place in IOS’ pool of athletes.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting)

• Vijender Singh (Boxing)

• Deepika Kumari (Archery)

• Anju Bobby George (Track & Field)

• Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing)

• Manika Batra (Table Tennis)

• Hima Das (Track & Field)

• Manpreet Singh (Hockey)

• Sumit Antil (Para Athletics)

• Rani Rampal (Hockey)

• Vantika Agrawal (Chess)

and many more

Other Ventures

• Rights Management: Media, Event, Commercial Rights

• Brand Partnership

• Event & Operations

• Entertainment (Avenue for Sports)

GoSports Foundation 

Since 2008, GoSports Foundation has been supporting athletes from the grassroots level. Their efforts go beyond the usual job of an athlete management company, as they have been partnering & consulting with academies, coaches, and former champion athletes to uplift their players on and off the field.

They not just manage athletes, they wish to build a complete support structure around the athlete for them to achieve their goals. Veteran sporting champions like Rahul Dravid and Abhinav Bindra have been onboard at their GoSports as advisors.

Athletes like Dipa Karmakar (now with Meraki Sport and Entertainment) and Kidami Srikanth (now with Baseline Ventures) have been part of the GoSports Foundation roster.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• Manish Rawat (Track & Field)

• Nishant Kumawat (Archery)

• Harsheel Dani (Badminton)

Meraki Sport and Entertainment 

Meraki Sport and Entertainment has been making its way into the sports marketing sector for the past decade. Just like its peer companies, Meraki works in the sponsorship, content and digital landscape as well.

As for its athlete pool, Meraki boasts of managing veteran champions like Rahul Dravid and Rohan Bopanna. Current Indian young sensation Yashashvi Jaiswal is also on their roster.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• Rahul Dravid (Cricket)

• Yashashvi Jaiswal (Cricket)

• Rohan Bopanna (Tennis)

• Dipa Karmakar (Gymnastics)

• Kush Maini (Motorsport) — via Cornerstone-Meraki

• Sreeja Akula (Table Tennis)

• Srihari Natraj (Swimming)

• Mandeep Kaur (Para-Badminton)

• Rhythm Sangwan (Shooting)

and many more

Other Ventures

• Sponsorship

• Rights & IP Management

• Events & Experiences

• Digital & Social Media

• Content, Community & Fan Engagement

• Sports CSR Advisory

Birbal Sports & Entertainment 

Birbal Sports & Entertainment is another upcoming sports marketing company, and has a good footing in athlete management with diverse budding players on their roster. Apart from handling endorsements and social media, Birbal gives focus on advising for the personal growth of their athletes.

Indian women cricketers Saima Thakor and Sree Charani are represented by Birbal Sports. Besides cricket, they also manage athletes from other sports such as football, shooting, boxing, table tennis, etc.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• Saima Thakor (Cricket)

• Sree Charani (Cricket)

• Narender Berwal (Boxing)

• Tejal Hasabnis (Cricket)

• Aishwary Pratap Singh (Shooting)

• Manav Thakkar (Table Tennis)

Other Ventures

• Sponsorship & Partnership

• Team, League & Property Management

• Strategic Brand Consulting

• FIFA-licensed Football Agency

• Campaign Ideation & Production

Rhiti Sports 

One of the older players in the sports marketing sector, Rhiti Sports has been a pioneer of athlete management, having managed some of the legendary cricketers as well.  India’s former World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni has been on their roster.

A part of the Rhiti Group, Rhiti Sports boasts of strong industry connections globally which convinces even some international athletes to come onboard. South African cricketer Faf du Plessis is one example of the same.

Besides athlete management, though, they have multiple other verticals including event management and sponsorships.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• MS Dhoni (Cricket)

• Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Cricket)

• Faf du Plessis (Cricket)

• KL Rahul (Cricket)

• Mohit Sharma (Cricket)

• Kaustubh Radkar (Triathlon)

and many more

Other Ventures

• Sports Asset management

• Event management

• Media Rights distribution

• Sponsorship

• Consultancy services

Athletes Today 

Founded in 2017, Athletes Today is another upcoming sports management agency, mainly managing athletes from football and hockey. They have been onboarding relatively non-popular players and establish their footing in the athlete management sector steadily.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who plays for Bengaluru in the ISL, is one of the top players they have on their roster. Spanish footballer Victor Mongil Adeva, who plays for the Kerala Blasters is also managed by Athletes Today.

Former Indian hockey player and Arjuna Awardee Lalit Upadhyay is another prominent athlete in their pool, having signed with them in 2021, three years before he was part of the Bronze medal-winning Indian hockey team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Football)

• Victor Mongil Adeva (Football)

• Sumit Rathi (Football)

• Lalit Upadhyay (Hockey)

• Vivek Sagar Prasad (Hockey)

• Vandana Katariya (Hockey)

• Sushila Chanu (Hockey)

• Esow Alban (Cycling)

and many more

Other Ventures

• Sports Marketing

• Sponsorship

• Sports Entertainment

SportWise 

Despite being just 7 years old, SportWise has made quite the mark in the Indian sporting ecosystem, as they are the official social media agency for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). This association also means that majority of their athletes are Olympians and Paralympians.

Retired Indian track & field legend PT Usha is one the top athletes on SportWise’s roster. Meanwhile, Avani Lekhara is one of the top para athletes they manage.

Prominent Athletes Managed

• PT Usha (Track & Field)

• Avani Lekhara (Para-shooting)

• Latika Bhandari (Taekwondo)

• Rutuja Bhosale (Tennis)

• Arjun Babuta (Shooting)

• Bhavina Patel (Table Tennis)

• Taniksha Khatri (Fencing)

and many more

Other Ventures

• Digital Marketing & PR

• Content Creation

• Experiential Marketing

• Sponsorships

• Consultation

Aethleti Circle 

Aethleti Circle is one of the newer players in the sports marketing industry and have been making their way into the athlete management at steadfast pace.

They are foraying into multiple sectors which do link back to athlete management in general, such as sports investments, strategic marketing and branding solutions to brands and leagues.

As for their athlete roster, though, they have several big names of the cricketing world as well as many star Indian kabaddi players. Indian men cricketer Mohammed Shami is one of the top names in their pool. Meanwhile, Indian kabaddi stars like Ajay Thakur, Pardeep Narwal, and Rohit Kumar are also managed by Aethleti Circle.

FACT 

Aethleti Circle’s Founder & CEO, Ms. Diksha Chillar is an IISM alumnus, having graduated with Postgraduate Programme in Sports Management (PGPSM) in 2020. She was also a Visiting Faculty at IISM. 

Prominent Athletes Managed

• Mohammed Shami (Cricket)

• Manish Pandey (Cricket)

• Shreyanka Patil (Cricket)

• Ajay Thakur (Kabaddi)

• Pardeep Narwal (Kabaddi)

• Rohit Kumar (Kabaddi)

• Naveen Kumar (Kabaddi)

• Chirag Yadav (Volleyball)

and many more

Other Ventures

• Sports Investments

• Full-scale Event Management

• Strategic Marketing & Branding

• Sponsorship

• Broadcasting Consultancy

Conclusion

This is the length and breadth of the athlete management segment in India. Companies like JSW Sports, RISE Worldwide and GoSports Foundation are not just managing and representing athletes, but grooming them from the grassroots level. These companies play a crucial role in shaping Indian athletes and in turn, the sports ecosystem of the country.

Meanwhile, companies like Baseline Ventures, Cornerstone, IOS Sports & Entertainment, Meraki Sport & Entertainment are purely pushing into the commercial sports marketing side of the industry.

The bottom line, though, is that athletes from a plethora of sports — tennis, table tennis, chess, track & field, archery, motorsport, squash — that don’t get enough spotlight are getting a solid push from these companies.

Moreover, athlete management as a career pathway is naturally going to get further mileage. With the number of athletes in India across diverse sporting disciplines increasing, the need for managers and agents to represent and manage their lives will also rise.

Also Read: 7 Key Skills You Must Learn to Become a Sports Manager