Youth Development, Business And More: Why Bundesliga Club Stuttgart Is Investing In Indian Football

The Indian football market has its complexities. While the sport remains the second most followed, after cricket, the country hasn't made much progress, as far as its own performances on the field are concerned. But, there remains continuous effort from both the federations in India and international clubs to not just help football reach its potential from a marketing standpoint, but also in terms of youth development. German Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart is gradually building its presence in India through a combination of youth development initiatives and high-level business collaborations, according to club representative Simon Gubisch.

Speaking about the club's engagement with the country during NDTV's visit to the club's facilities in Stuttgart (Germany), Gubisch explained that Stuttgart currently has two major touchpoints in India.

"One is a grassroots youth development partnership with Sudeva Delhi FC," he said, highlighting that the collaboration focuses on sharing expertise and nurturing young footballers.

Through the partnership, Stuttgart supports coaches' education and player development programs in India. "We send coaches to India to help develop the talents of tomorrow," Gubisch noted. The exchange works both ways, with Indian players also visiting Germany. "We invite them to Germany as well for intercultural exchange, where they play matches against our academy team."

Youth development remains the focal point of Stuttgart's international strategy. According to Gubisch, this focus extends across all of the club's target international markets.

"In all top markets, youth football development is an important aspect," he explained, emphasising that the long-term goal is to help emerging football nations strengthen their player pathways.

Alongside grassroots football, Stuttgart has also been active in building business and political networks between Germany and India.

"We held a summit twice in the last two years here in our arena," Gubisch said. "It brought together senior politicians from Germany and India, as well as companies that are active in both countries."

The event served as more than just a business forum. Stuttgart also leveraged football's universal appeal to create a unique atmosphere for dialogue.

"We provided a platform for a high-quality event with a little emotional touchpoint of football," he explained. "That helps us increase our network and our visibility in India because we were the co-host."

While these initiatives have already established connections between the club and India, Gubisch acknowledged that communication with local fans in the country remains a key area for growth.

"When it comes to internationalisation, communication is probably one of the most important aspects," he said. "The question is how you communicate with the local community in India."

Even with these challenges, Stuttgart sees immense long-term potential in Indian football.

"With a country that has so many people, it's about patience and the right development of players," Gubisch said. "At some point there will be Indian players who can compete in the top European leagues."

For the Bundesliga club, the opportunities in India remain vast - but the process requires time and sustained investment.

Topics mentioned in this article

VfB Stuttgart Football