SC-appointed Justice Rao recommends a balance between the AIFF’s autonomy and the interests of ISL bidders

Justice (retd.) L Nageswara Rao, in his report to the Supreme Court, has recommended striking a balance between “preserving” the autonomy of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and keeping in mind the commercial interests of potential bidders after a failed tender process to monetize the Indian Super League (ISL).

The court-appointed committee, headed by Justice Rao, submitted a report to the SC after the invitation for bids for the tender for the ISL’s commercial rights failed to find any takers, leaving the national sports federation in a bind.

“The recommendations that follow seek to adopt a balanced approach by preserving the regulatory role of the AIFF while making the commercial framework more viable and attractive to potential bidders, thereby facilitating renewed interest and enabling timely implementation of the ISL,” Justice Rao noted in his report, a copy of which is attached. PTI.

Rao is also chairman of the Bid Evaluation Committee.

Limited representation on the AIFF Governing Council, minimum guaranteed payment, decision-making powers, management and sub-licensing of rights have emerged as the biggest bone of contention as all stakeholders look for a way forward for the 2025-2026 season.

The AIFF had earlier said it had not received any bid for the commercial rights of the already postponed ISL, leaving the future of the country’s domestic football in disarray.

“To the extent that concerns regarding the minimum guaranteed payment directly contributed to the failure to receive bids, it may be appropriate to revisit and reconsider the financial obligations set forth in the RFP (Request for Proposal),” Rao said in the report.

«In particular, the annual guaranteed payment to the AIFF could be restructured or reasonably reduced to ensure the commercial viability of potential partners, while still protecting the AIFF’s financial interests. Such restructuring would address interested bidders’ concerns about disproportionate financial risks in the early years and high operational overhead costs,» he added.

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The other two members of the Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) are AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and Kesvaran Murugasu of the Asian Football Confederation, as an independent member.

The continued uncertainty surrounding the much-delayed ISL has led to a number of clubs suspending all their football activities indefinitely.

Regarding the limited representation and limited decision-making powers of the potential commercial partners, he has called for a review of the AIFF governance council framework to ensure “a more balanced and functional” governance arrangement.

«The interested bidders have consistently indicated that meaningful participation in decision-making is essential if they are to assume substantial financial risks, operational responsibilities and commercial risks. Accordingly, the Board of Directors may be reconstituted to provide equal representation to the commercial partner. Further, the interested bidders have indicated that the proposed veto power for the senior AIFF representative may significantly limit their ability to make timely commercial and operational decisions,» Rao said.

The AIFF had on October 16 submitted the Request for Proposals for a 15-year contract to monetize the commercial rights of the league. The deadline for submission was November 7.

“The proposed composition, which provided only one representative in six from the commercial partner, was seen as insufficient participation in key governance and operational decisions relating to the competition,” the report said.

On the management and sublicensing of rights, the report said bidders “expressed concerns about the restrictions imposed on the commercial partner’s ability to manage and sublicense rights, particularly broadcast and related rights, which were considered integral to effective commercial management.”

For the past 15 years, Indian football has been run by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, after the AIFF awarded them commercial rights for Rs 700 crore in 2010. The FSDL has operated the ISL since its inception in 2014. However, the 15-year agreement ends on December 8.

Justice Rao’s report further stated: “Given the close connection between essential aspects and the framework under Article 63 of the AIFF Constitution, in particular Article 63.3 relating to the delegation of powers, it may be considered appropriate to interpret the term in a manner that preserves the primacy of the AIFF over essential aspects and regulatory functions, without including the day-to-day administrative, commercial or logistical management of ISL or any league or competition which would be the domain of the commercial partner.”

Published on November 19, 2025