Sporjo: How Srinivvasan G is Converting Sports Passion into Professional Careers
For decades, the standard Indian career path was engineering, medicine, or an MBA. Sports was always a hobby—something you did "alongside" your studies. Srinivvasan G, Founder of Sporjo, is ending that era. After 20 years leading brand and marketing for titans like Nike, IPL, and the ISL, Srinivvasan realized that while millions want to work in sports, they have no scientific pathway to do so. By building an assessment-led platform backed by icons like Leander Paes, Sporjo is ensuring that for the next generation of Indians, "playing sports" and "working in sports" are both world-class career options.
Srinivvasan G’s journey is a rare example of a top-tier corporate leader quitting at the peak of his career to solve a systemic industry gap. An alumnus of IMT Ghaziabad, Srini spent two decades in the leadership teams of ESPN Star Sports, Nike India, and the BCCI, where he headed marketing for the IPL. He was also instrumental in setting up the Indian Super League (ISL) with Reliance. In 2020, he launched Sporjo to provide the "Hub and Spoke" infrastructure the Indian sports industry was missing. Backed by a **$2 million Seed round** led by **Punit Balan**, Sporjo is now the country's premier sports career destination.
The Sports-Entrepreneurship Analogy
Srinivvasan sees entrepreneurship as a team sport. "Whether it's Federer on court or a founder in a boardroom, you need a fantastic team behind you. Think of a wheel: for it to move forward, the hub (founder) must be strong, and the spokes (team) must be resilient. If two spokes break, the wheel becomes unstable. Interdependence is the key to any successful initiative."
The Problem: The "Interest vs. Career" Stigma
Despite being a multi-billion dollar industry in India, sports is still viewed with skepticism by parents. While thousands of jobs exist in coaching, marketing, digital media, and operations, there is no centralized platform to find them. Furthermore, employers struggle to find the "right" talent because there is no standardized way to assess if a passionate fan has the professional proficiency to manage a league or a brand.
"I was shocked that nobody tried to solve this," Srinivvasan explains. "Private companies are sending rockets to space, but we didn't have a website telling you how to work in sports. We need to create awareness because we aren't just starting a business; we are building an entire category."
The Solution: The Sporjo Meritocratic Pathway
Sporjo acts as a bridge between the employer and the enthusiast. By using a data-driven approach to talent, they remove the guesswork from sports hiring.
The Sporjo Talent Lifecycle
- Scientific Assessment: Using proprietary modules to evaluate a candidate's passion, personality, and proficiency.
- Industry Whitepaper: Collaborating with firms like KPMG to quantify exactly where the jobs are (the first-of-its-kind research in India).
- Specialized Training: Guiding candidates through 13 months of back-and-forth testing and skill building.
- Mentorship: Connecting talent with icons like Leander Paes and senior industry executives.
- Placement: Moving beyond "random LinkedIn applying" to a scientific matching of talent with roles in leagues and brands.
Building the Category: The Leander Paes Partnership
Sporjo’s mission received a massive boost in 2021 when tennis legend Leander Paes joined as a strategic advisor and ambassador. For Srinivvasan, this wasn't just a brand endorsement; it was a commitment to building a "half a million" strong workforce for Indian sports by 2030. He shares how his own 20-year experience allowed him to see the "wisdom" in starting this venture late—leveraging every relationship he built at Nike and BCCI to ensure Sporjo had the trust of the industry from Day 1.
"Entrepreneurship isn't about age," Srinivvasan notes. "It's about experience and wisdom. If I had started this after my first job at ESPN, I wouldn't have known how a brand like Nike works or how to set up a league like the ISL. My 20 years gave me the data and the gut feeling that this would work."
Sporjo Impact & Scale
- $2 Million Seed Round: Led by Punit Balan to fuel product growth and global expansion.
- 500,000 Skilled Talent Goal: Aiming to build India's largest sports workforce by 2030.
- Iconic Mentorship: Backed and advised by tennis legend Leander Paes.
- 15,000+ Strong Community: Building organic reach through high-quality thought leadership.
Lessons in Leadership: Passion + Personality + Proficiency
Srinivvasan advocates for a "formulaic" approach to hiring. He warns that passion alone isn't enough to succeed in the business of sports. He looks for people who share the vision and have the "hunger" to build a new category. He emphasizes that as a founder, your job is to find the people who will "get you the business," not just build the product. For Srinivvasan, adding value is the ultimate north star—if you transform a few lives by getting them their dream job, the business success is inevitable.
"Go for it," he tells young entrepreneurs. "If your idea solves a real problem and you have the data and research to back it up, don't wait. But ensure you have pilot-tested it. Don't just wake up with an idea; wake up with a solution."
Founder's Lesson: The 'Grassroots' Awareness
Srinivvasan believe category building requires both top-down and bottom-up efforts. "You can't just get people jobs; you have to go to schools and tell kids (and parents) that sports is a viable career. You have to build the pyramid from the grassroots up while placing senior executives at the top."
The Future: India as a Sports Powerhouse
Srinivvasan’s vision for Sporjo is for it to be the "Only Destination" for sports careers in India. He aims to expand into regional languages—recognizing that a football fan in Telangana who doesn't know English should still have a career in sports. He also plans to move into coaching and gaming sectors, ensuring that every facet of the sporting ecosystem has skilled Indian talent. For Srinivvasan, the ultimate victory is seeing India host global events with a 100% domestic, world-class workforce.
Sporjo is proving that the next generation of sports giants won't just be players—they will be the managers, marketers, and engineers behind the scenes. By giving the industry a scientific talent backbone, Srinivvasan G and his team are ensuring that for the future of Indian sports, the win is finally professional.
About the Guest
Srinivvasan G is the Founder of Sporjo. With over 20 years of experience in the sports industry, Srinivvasan is one of India's most respected sports business leaders. He has held leadership positions at ESPN Star Sports, Nike India (Head of Brand), and the BCCI (Head of Marketing for IPL). He was also a founding team member of the Indian Super League (ISL) with Reliance. Under his leadership, Sporjo has emerged as India's premier career platform for the sports industry, securing significant funding and the strategic mentorship of Leander Paes. He is an alumnus of IMT Ghaziabad and a vocal advocate for the professionalization of the Indian sporting ecosystem.
Sporjo is a career platform for the sports industry that assesses, guides, and trains talent for professional roles. By providing a meritocratic pathway backed by scientific assessment and expert mentorship, the platform helps individuals convert their passion for sports into sustainable professional careers while helping employers find pre-screened, skilled talent for a variety of roles in the growing sports economy.