The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has struck a 15-year contract with Capri Sports to commercialise IWL and 2nd tier Indian Women’s League. The long term agreement will also develop the commercial structure to women’s club football in India and will expand the reach of the country’s top two tiers of the women’s game.
Capri Sports will be in charge of commercial development and marketing of IWL and IWL 2. It is also working with the AIFF and the clubs to increase the visibility of teams and players, increase their audiences and attract more brand and investor interest.
The partnership will also focus on broadcast and digital engagement. With women’s football on the rise in India and commercial and media presence being more prominent for the most part in the country, stronger commercial platforms will give clubs more opportunities to connect with fans and build their own identity.
AIFF enhances women’s football pathway.
The AIFF’s 15-year agreement comes as the domestic pathway for female footballers at a variety of age groups is being expanded. In addition to the senior women’s club competitions, the federation has introduced youth competitions to give young players the chance to compete in a structured way.
The Under-17 Women's Youth League was held in July and the first Under-15 Women's Youth League will be held in October. The introduction of competitions at these levels is part of a wider goal of developing a pathway for young players to get to senior club and national-league football.
AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey explained the significance of the partnership and the development of women's football in recent years. He mentioned the increase in participation through the ASMITA leagues, the increasing number of players and the introduction of organised Under-17 and Under-15 women's youth competitions.
Chaubey also pointed out developments in the national teams of India, saying the senior, Under-20 and Under-17 sides had made progress at the Asian level during 2026.
Commercial development of Indian Women's League
The Indian Women's League is the country's top level of women's club football and IWL 2 is another level of competition within the domestic structure. The commercial partnership with Capri Sports will provide a long-term framework for their marketing and commercial development.
For the clubs that have the commercial exposure, that could assist them to develop stronger connections with sponsors, supporters and even broadcasters. That is in addition to player visibility as more domestic TV coverage can help young football players to be recognized outside of football stadiums.
The agreement also places an emphasis on digital engagement. Increasingly, sports audiences are accessing content on digital platforms, social media and online video and improving the digital presence of women's club football is therefore one of the key ways to grow its audience.
The partnership thus goes beyond sponsorship or broadcasting. Its 15-year tenure provides a long-term commercial framework while the AIFF is working on competition structures and player development.
India Women's Teams Make Continental Progress
The domestic developments are happening alongside the achievements of India’s women’s national teams. In 2026, the senior women’s team qualified for AFC Women’s Asian Cup through the qualifiers route.
India also returned to the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup and AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup after a lengthy absence from those continental competitions. Teams of different age groups will help to increase the exposure of Indian players and it will also give opportunities for the younger football players to compete against the top teams of Asia.
Youth competitions, domestic leagues and national-team opportunities are all needed to develop a larger football ecosystem. A better domestic competition structure can offer players regular competitive football and youth leagues can help identify talent early on and develop it.
Long-term focus on Women's Football
The AIFF-Capri Sports agreement represents a major commercial achievement for women’s club football in India. By covering the marketing and commercial rights of both IWL and IWL 2, the partnership brings together the top two levels of the domestic women’s league system under a commercial development framework.
Finally, the focus is on translating that framework into increased visibility for clubs and players, greater engagement with fans and more commercial partners. Youth competitions may also provide a more robust base of players for the AIFF to take advantage of the AIFF’s expansion of youth competitions.
With the Under-15 and Under-17 competitions complementing the senior women’s league structure, India’s women’s football pathway is expanding in age groups. The 15-year partnership comes at a time when the women’s teams in the country are also returning to major Asian competitions, so domestic football development is an integral part of our overall growth strategy.
