Football in India is finding its feet and fast. The Premier League alone draws 71 million viewers across the country, a number that surpasses the entire population of the United Kingdom. With only a fraction of India’s 1.4 billion engaged, the sport’s greatest chapter remains unwritten. Beyond the leagues, a quiet, foundational mission is building the game from the ground up. The 2026 Premier League Next Gen Coach Programme was held in Goa recently, at the Duler Stadium in Mapusa, with specific sessions organised as part of the broader Dream Sports Championship 2026. The Next Gen Coach Programme marks the latest and most evolved chapter in that effort, drawing on nearly two decades of grassroots work across 18 Indian states. ItsGoa sat down with Hrishikesh Shende, Managing Director of Premier League India, to understand what this programme means for Indian football and why Goa may just be where the country’s footballing future takes its first real kick.
Q: So, I would first like to ask you, why is the Premier League investing in grassroots in India?
A: Grassroots is fundamental to our strategy in India because, without grassroots development, the sport itself will not scale or grow bigger. One of our key objectives in India is to grow the category and grow the sport itself. We want Indians to play football at scale. Cricket has already shown what fandom at scale can unlock, and that’s also what we want to do with football. I think by focusing on coaches at the grassroots level, we are able to have a far wider impact than we could individually by coaching each player. For every coach that we train, if they are up-skilled and empowered, they are able to translate that into a transformational impact on another 100,000 kids.
Q: How does the Next Gen Coach programme fit into the broader strategy of expanding football grassroots in India?
A: The Next Gen Coach programme has basically been built upon three previous editions that we had: Primary Stars, Premier Skills and the Community Coach Development Programme. It is based on the learnings and methodology of all three put together. So, it’s now a far more improved programme. It really helps connect us with coaches who are just getting into the coaching world, who are not quite in the elite category, but are working more on the grassroots side of things and with young individuals. From our perspective, what the Next Gen programme really unlocks is our ability to scale this significantly and expand our geographic footprint as well. What we want to do through the Next Gen Programme is build on the success we’ve already had with about 7,300 coaches, referees and coach educators, which has impacted around 124,000 kids overall. But now we want to take this to the next level with the Next Gen Coach Programme.
Q: How important is India within the Premier League’s global vision and market strategy?
A: India is one of three strategic markets that have been identified centrally. The US, China and India are the three big markets, or three strategic markets. Clearly, the long-term growth outlook for India is very positive, and the Premier League obviously wants to grow its presence in the country. Through our broadcast partner, we want to make the Premier League far more accessible. Currently, we have a viewership of about 71 million, which is actually higher than the entire population of the UK. But from an Indian perspective, we’ve not even scratched the surface. We clearly see a massive runway for growth. And then, of course, through our football development and grassroots work, we want to fundamentally make football more popular, more accessible and really help develop the sport in India. These are the three things we want to do from that perspective. From a fan engagement and growth perspective, there are several initiatives, both digital and on the ground, that we are undertaking to bring fans closer to the Premier League and continue growing that audience.
Q: Is there any new prominent figure from the Premier League that is scheduled to visit India next?
A: We had Michael Owen (former Real Madrid icon) come over here in October. Owen is obviously a massive legend in his own right. Those conversations are always ongoing. These are not easy things because they have coaching careers and media careers. But the conversations are ongoing to bring someone big into the country at some point in the future.
Q: For Premier League India, what do you think is the way forward for the league in the country?
A: The Premier League has been active in India over the last 18 or 19 years. We have a statistic that is “18 years and 18 states”. We’ve conducted activations in 18 states across the previous 18 years. What this opportunity unlocks, by having an office and boots on the ground, is the ability to show up far more consistently and maintain an almost always-on presence in the country. Through football development, grassroots activations and broadcast, digital and on-the-ground events and activations, we can have a far more consistent and frequent conversation with our fans and stakeholders.
Q: When do you see Indian footballers being able to play in the Premier League?
A: Our efforts on the football development side are exactly aimed at trying to find an answer to that question. It’s not a question that the Premier League can answer on its own. I think all stakeholders in Indian football need to come together to make that happen. We obviously want to play our role in doing that. The Dream Sports Championship, through our partnership with them and by uplifting the coaches and kids who participated in it, is a big step in that direction. Ultimately, I think we are all trying to find that one big superstar from the country. It is a long-term project. There are no shortcuts to this, and we are prepared to do that foundational work.
(The Premier League Next Gen Coach Training Programme was held in Goa from May 10–13, 2026, as part of the Dream Sports Championship in partnership with the Dream Sports Foundation and the All India Football Federation)