Future of sports management: Stupa Sports, and adaptability

Stupa has just announced two major international partnerships; becoming the Official Competition Management Partner for Swiss Tennis (for padel events across Switzerland), signing as the Exclusive Data & Technology Partner for the Pickleball Champions League Asia Finals 2025 in Shenzhen These deals position Stupa as one of the very few Indian sports-tech firms building a global footprint across Europe and Asia, with deployments spanning volleyball, badminton, table tennis, padel, and now pickleball. Megha Gambhir sat down with The Statesman for an exclusive conversation about the Indian sports ecosystem.

How do you see the future of India in sports on the global map?

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I genuinely believe India is entering one of its most decisive decades in sport. We have always had the talent, the ambition and the sheer population strength to make a global impact, but what was missing earlier was a strong, supportive ecosystem around our athletes. Over the last several years, that has finally started to change. Today, we’re seeing rapid improvements in technology adoption, coaching standards, sports science, competitive leagues, and infrastructure. There is tremendous activity with startups building sports-tech solutions, new academies coming up, federations experimenting with structured pathways, and an overall mindset shift towards professionalism. The next big leap for India will come from data-driven training and truly structured grassroots programmes. If we can capture athlete data from the very beginning, use it intelligently for development, and create clear pathways for progression, as we see in the US, Europe or Australia, we will unlock a completely new level of performance. This also builds confidence among parents and young athletes, because they start seeing sport as a viable, well-supported career. At the same time, our federations, state associations and clubs need to function as a more unified, integrated system. When these entities are aligned by sharing data, scouting systematically, nurturing talent together, so that we ensure that no promising athlete is overlooked and everyone receives consistent, high-quality support.

W.You have successfully created an ecosystem to provide innovation.How much do you think the players are going to benefit from it?

Our entire ecosystem is built around digitising and automating federation and association operations, but the real value is what it unlocks for players. Today’s athletes don’t want guesswork. They want clarity, personalised insights and data-backed improvement pathways. When you streamline data capture, scheduling, scoring and performance tracking, the ultimate beneficiaries are the athletes who finally get visibility, clarity and access to insights that were never available before. Through Stupa’s technology, players receive accurate performance data, historical trends, ratings, rankings and even head-to-head records against every opponent they’ve faced. They also get intelligent predictions on which tournaments they should participate in to stay competitive at the national and international levels. This kind of guidance was simply not available earlier. We’re already seeing this impact globally.

For example, one of our European clients in Spain had almost no digital footprint before we came in; there was no structured data, no real-time updates, nothing for players to consistently engage with. After implementing our system, that same platform now attracts nearly three million people every month, with players logging in to watch live action, check their dashboards, analyse trends and study their performance patterns. Beyond that, players can access real-time insights, automated video highlights and content they can share on social media, which boosts visibility and helps them build their personal brand. They get global comparisons, injury-avoidance insights and a deeper understanding of how to train smarter. Another event we powered in Croatia saw close to 10 million users coming onto the platform to follow live scores, streams, head-to-heads and every real-time update. This kind of engagement is a direct outcome of proper digitisation and data availability. What this shows is that when you create a fully connected and data-driven ecosystem, players start using the platform not because they are told to but because it genuinely helps them grow. And I believe the exact same transformation can happen in India. The way European federations are benefitting today is exactly how Indian federations can benefit too, once we bring the same level of structure, transparency and data access into the system. Ultimately, our aim is to build a connected ecosystem where every bit of data is captured, analysed with AI and personalised for each player. This helps them make informed decisions, accelerate their growth and get discovered faster. The benefit to players is immense as they gain transparency, structure and a scientific roadmap to reach the next level of their careers. Being a female entrepreneur comes with the badge of being a leader born out of struggle.

Q.How do you manage the gender stereotypes in sports?

Sports, traditionally, have been a male-dominated industry, whether you look at the athlete ecosystem, leadership roles or even the startup space around it. So yes, stereotypes do show up. But over the years, I’ve learned two things: competence breaks stereotypes, and consistency earns respect. I don’t lead with the label of being a ‘female founder.’ I lead with clarity, preparation and outcomes. When people see a strong product, a clear vision and consistent execution, the conversation naturally shifts away from gender and towards the work. At the same time, I’m very aware that my presence in this space matters. There are still very few women in sports, tech and entrepreneurship. If my journey opens doors, questions old norms or inspires even a few women to enter this space with confidence, that’s a responsibility I’m proud to carry. And that, I believe, is the best way to challenge and change stereotypes from the front, through performance.

Q.If given the choice, which sport would you like to represent India in the global competitions?

I love playing badminton, and I try to squeeze in a game whenever I can. Recently, I’ve also picked up padel, which has been a lot of fun. But if you ask me which sport I would truly love to represent India in on a global stage, I think it would be something inspired by yoga or movement arts. Yoga has shaped my discipline, energy and mental clarity in a very personal way. I actually began practising yoga when I started Stupa, because I needed the physical and mental strength to handle long workdays and the chaos that comes with building a company. It helped me stay balanced, focused and centred, even while working 15 to 16 hours a day