Paris, July 6, 2026: FICCI Sports Committee comprising of over 20 delegates representing India’s Sports industry jointly with Business France recently visited Paris and Marseilles to engage with leading experts in the industry across business and governance.
The visit to the Marseilles Velodrome football stadium was a lesson in maximizing sports infrastructure for sustainability and smart deployment. The historic stadium founded in 1937 is now home to key football games played in the region as well as popular concerts and cultural events during off season. There was also discussion on best practices in fan engagement while the game may be only played for a few hours, the end-to-end fan experience in the form of a day-long carnival supplemented with digital engagement.
The Delegation was hosted by the Consul General of India in Marseilles who introduced the members to key local businesses actively engaged in the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in 2030.
The Delegation also visited Nautical Stadium where the Paris Olympics Sailing events were hosted as well as the Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille swim center. Interaction with the local experts led to a deeper understanding of operations of facilities developed for the Olympics and repurpose the same for commercial sustenance and utilization post the games as well.
In Paris, the delegation participated in Riges 2026 (an international meeting on major sporting events).
Welcoming the Indian delegation, Ms Cynthia Regulski, Head of Key Accounts and Sector Partners, Business France while welcoming the delegation said, “The team at Business France organised this visit to inspire the delegation, with our implementing sites for sports and especially the Olympics, held here in 2024. We are honoured and pleased to transfer this heritage to other countries.”
A focused panel on the opportunities for India was Chaired by Mr Sanjay Adesara, Co-Chair FICCI Sports Committee and Chief Business Officer, Adani Sportsline. Mr Siddharth Raman, CEO, Sportz Interactive, also shared his perspectives with the global audience present on the occasion.
Mr Sanjay Adesara said, “India has an ambition to become a sporting powerhouse. Hosting international sports events means a lot for India. Before 2030 games, we aim to host international events to build towards our Olympic ambition. As members of the FICCI Sports Committee, we collectively look forward to finding long term partners here in France across all expertise.”
Mr Siddharth Raman said, “Having been in Paris for the Olympics 2024, I had an experience of how world class games are planned. Aspects like proper usage of the infrastructure of the city as well as integrating the culture and legacy of the city into sport are good learnings for us. While these events last for a few days they become a part of public memory and relevance year-round. “
In Paris, the delegation further visited Paris City Hall and Stade de France. They also interacted with local sports businesses at INSEP and the Sports Definition conference.
As part of the key learnings across the interactions, the FICCI Sports Committee will prepare a white paper on ‘French Olympic Legacy: Key Learnings for India’s journey ahead’ to be shared with government and industry as a knowledge sharing exercise.
FICCI Sports Committee further looks forward to hosting a French Delegation via Business France to visit India in November 2026 in tandem with their annual flagship event – FICCI TURF.
