The approved budget of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in Bengaluru last week is ₹134.33 crore, which is an increase of approximately ₹49 crore compared to the previous year. The AIFF expects to receive ₹50 crore from commercial partners based on a 15-year agreement from 2010, and they have factored in additional contributions from FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the Union government to cover most of the remaining expenses.
According to the budget, the AIFF anticipates receiving ₹16.21 crore as a FIFA grant in the fiscal year 2023-24, which is a significant increase from ₹7.30 crore in the previous year. The projected amount from the AFC is ₹9.10 crore, compared to ₹2.8 crore in the previous year. The budget also includes a substantial increase in government grants for national teams, with funding expected to rise to ₹24 crore for the upcoming year, compared to ₹6.56 crore in 2022-23.
The budget reflects an increased focus on spending for the men’s and women’s national teams and the Indian Women’s League (IWL), while reducing expenses for the I-League, which has added five new teams. The national men’s teams will see a budget increase from ₹13.13 crore to ₹21.50 crore, with higher allocations for the senior team, U-23 team, and U-17 team. The women’s national teams will receive ₹2.3 crore more than the previous year, with increased funding for the senior team and the U-20 team.
For the I-League, the budget has been adjusted to allocate ₹14.20 crore for the current 16-team competition, compared to ₹15.10 crore for the 12-team league in the previous fiscal year. The I-League second division will receive ₹3.36 crore, and ₹1.05 crore has been allocated for the third division, which returns to the league pyramid after a gap since the 2006-07 season. The IWL will receive an additional ₹1.8 crore, bringing its budget to ₹4.30 crore, and ₹2 crore has been set aside for the introduction of a second division league.
The budget also addresses concerns over the costs of broadcasting AIFF events. The production cost for broadcasting tournaments will be covered within the tournament budget, and AIFF officials have clarified that the amount spent on broadcast in the previous financial year will not exceed ₹7 crore. However, concerns were raised about the expenses incurred for specific matches and tournaments, such as women’s friendlies, the U-17 youth cup, and the IWL. The AIFF officials aim to enhance the quality of broadcast to increase engagement, but they acknowledge the need for strategic approaches due to reduced investment in the I-League.
Regarding the youth cup and the U-17 friendlies, it was noted that tenders for bids were not invited, as the production company already had a working relationship with the AIFF through their involvement in the I-League. The crew was assigned to cover these events based on their prior engagement with matches in Hyderabad and Goa.
 in Bengaluru last week is ₹134.33 crore, which is an increase){kind=link}