By News18,Ritayan Basu
Copyright news18
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Monday that KPMG India Services LLP has been chosen as the consulting firm to manage the monetisation of its commercial rights.
Last week, AIFF sought bids from consulting firms to oversee the process of awarding its commercial rights through a Request For Quotation (RFQ). The deadline for bid submission was Sunday.
On Monday, AIFF confirmed the successful conclusion of its RFQ process to appoint an agency for managing the awarding of rights to monetise the Federation’s Commercial Rights for a limited term.
“The Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC), comprising three members, was chaired by Hon’ble Mr. Justice L. Nageswara Rao (Former Judge, Supreme Court of India), and included Mr. Kalyan Chaubey, President, AIFF, along with Mr. Kesvaran Murugasu as the Independent Member,” the AIFF said in a statement.
“Following the evaluation, KPMG India Services LLP was declared the Successful Bidder under the RFQ.”
The major requirements for bidding firms included a minimum annual turnover of Rs 100 crore in the last five years and prior experience in executing at least five similar deals.
The bidder must be in operation for at least five years and have experience managing processes for awarding commercial rights, AIFF stated in the RFQ.
The bidder should have an average annual turnover/receipt of a minimum of Rs 100 crore for the last five financial years. Additionally, the bidder must have experience in executing at least five similar assignments from at least three distinct clients over the past five years, with clients including governments, sports federations, and/or leagues in India.
AIFF also specified that it would not entertain bids from entities that are blacklisted/debarred by central or state governments, or by any international or national sports federations.
When Will ISL Start?
During a Supreme Court hearing last month, AIFF and its current commercial partner FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited), which organises the Indian Super League (ISL), submitted a consensual resolution to conduct an open, competitive, and transparent tender process for selecting a commercial partner for ISL, adhering to global best practices.
AIFF and FSDL agreed that the process will be concluded by October 15, 2025, providing certainty to clubs, broadcasters, sponsors, and other stakeholders. Subject to AFC’s consent, the ISL season can commence in December, they informed the court.
A crisis emerged in Indian football after FSDL put the 2025-26 ISL season on hold on July 11 due to uncertainty over the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with the national federation, prompting at least three clubs to either pause first-team operations or suspend player and staff salaries.
(With inputs from PTI)
