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Tata & JSW teams enter Indian Super League
MUMBAI: Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), a JV between IMG-Reliance & Star India — organiser of the Indian Super League, on 12 June, announced two winning bids for the Indian Super League, expanding it to 10 teams. The new entrants to the ISL 2017-18 seasons are: Tata Steel and Bengaluru FC.
Bids were invited from 10 cities, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cuttack, Durgapur, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri and Thiruvananthapuram with the organisers decided to include two teams to the new season. Impasse over the induction of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal into the football tournament continued as another round of talks with the AIFF did not yield any result. The two teams were adamant to not pay fees to be a part of ISL.
Now, from ISL 2017-18 season their will be 10 teams playing for the Cup and it will be of a longer format as compared to the previous seasons.
Two of India’s largest conglomerates, Tata Steel Ltd. – a US$ 18.12-billion company and subsidiary of Tata Group (US$ 103.51 billion 2015-16), and Jindal South West (JSW) Group – US$ 9 billion corporate, are now into the ISL fold.
Tata Steel VP corporate services Sunil Bhaskaran, and TFA chairman said: “This is a momentous occasion for Tata Steel, which has always been a pioneer in the development of sports in the country, especially football. Our entry into the coveted Indian Super League reinforces our commitment to provide a fillip to the development of football in the country. We are extremely excited to have won the bid for our hometown Jamshedpur and will provide the best of facilities for football to prosper in the eastern part of our country.”
JSW Group which owns the successful football club Bengaluru FC, through its subsidiary JSW Sports, won the right to participate in ISL from Bengaluru city. JSW Group has to its credit established professionally-run football club in I-League within a short period of three ears; winning the competition twice including in its debut year.
JSW Bengaluru CEO Parth Jindal attributed JSW Group’s decision to bid for an ISL team to the “interest of long-term future of Indian football.”
Jindal said, “We’re glad that our bid to be part of the ISL has been accepted. A lot of time and thought has gone into our decision of wanting to be part of the Indian Super League. The biggest factor has been the interest of the long-term future of Indian football. A longer league is the right road ahead.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
