New Delhi, September 22: Women’s club football in India now has a long-term commercial partner. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Capri Sports have signed a 15-year deal covering the commercial development and marketing rights of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and IWL 2, the country’s top two women’s club tiers. Vegas11 News has pieced together what the deal means for the game.
Capri Sports director Jinisha Sharma has put the aim in simple terms: turning interest into fandom.
What the AIFF–Capri Sports Deal Covers
Capri Sports will lead the commercial development and marketing of both divisions. It will work with the AIFF and the participating clubs to build audiences and raise the visibility of clubs and players. It will also try to attract brands and investment, and to strengthen broadcast and digital engagement.
For a league that has often been hard to find on screens and in sponsor decks, those commitments carry weight.
Jinisha Sharma on the Future of Women’s Football in India
Sharma is Director and Promoter of Capri Sports. She said women’s football is entering “a defining era globally”, with leagues drawing new audiences and investment. Her focus is on converting casual curiosity into loyal support, and that means regular stories, visible stars and matches fans can actually watch.
Apurv Gupta, Head of Contact Sports at Capri Sports, said the company was delighted to partner with the AIFF on both leagues. AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said a long-term commercial partner would help the federation take the league forward.
From No Sponsor to a 15-Year Partnership
The road here has not been smooth. Last year the IWL was set to start on December 20 without a sponsor, because the AIFF and Capri Sports, the lone bidder for the league rights at the time, could not reach an agreement. The wider Indian football calendar was also shaken when the AIFF’s master rights agreement with FSDL ended in December 2025.
In March 2026, the AIFF opened bids for its commercial rights package. Capri Sports bid for the women’s competitions, and the tender asked for a 15-year term. This latest announcement turns that bid into a signed partnership.
Why Capri Sports and the UP Warriorz Connection Matter
Capri Sports is the sports business arm of Capri Global. It owns the UP Warriorz franchise in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and has stakes in other franchise leagues, including the ILT20, Ultimate Kho Kho and the Pro Kabaddi League. That experience in women’s cricket gives it a working model for packaging, promoting and selling women’s sport to fans and brands.
What Fans and Clubs Can Expect Next
A 15-year horizon gives clubs the stability to plan squads, academies and fan engagement beyond a single season. For players, the hope is better pay, more visibility and a clearer path from IWL 2 to the top division. Whether the plan works will depend on delivery: broadcast reach, match-day experience and consistent storytelling.
Financial details of the final agreement were not available in the reports reviewed. Vegas11 News will track further developments on the Indian Women’s League, the AIFF and Capri Sports.
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