‘Smart stadiums, fan engagement will drive FIFA World Cup in USA’

Sports Tech expert David Steele at the US Consulate in Bandra recently. Pic/Shadab Khan

The amalgamation of sport with technology is a game-changer in the modern age, and with India looking to match global tech innovations click-for-click, a recent roundtable discussion, US-India Sports Tech Exchange, at the US Consulate in Bandra threw up some interesting ideas.

The roundtable was chaired by David Steele, Director, Sports Tech, Plug and Play Tech Center, Texas. Steele's Mumbai talk was the last leg of a three-city US Mission India engagement focused on innovation exchange opportunities and collaboration pathways between the US and Indian sportstech ecosystems.

Steele illustrated how the upcoming FIFA World Cup in the USA will be an apt example of tech and sports intertwining successfully. "The biggest thing we're working on in USA is large-scale security and smart stadiums to enhance the fan experience. We're working with a company called Wicket, who are focused on facial recognition technology. They scan every fan at a venue and can track and see where the fan is moving throughout. This tech is also integrated into ticketing, mobility, transportation and allied aspects, making fan engagement richer," said Steele, adding that tech will help conquer cultural complexities too: "With so many culturally different fans expected in the US for the FIFA World Cup now, and two years later, for the LA 2028 Olympic Games, tech will be used to understand and solve issues of language barriers and cultural differences, like for example, where can fans get Indian restaurants or how can the transportation system be explained better."

Other members of the roundtable chipped in with where India stands and how start-ups are eyeing international partners.

Subhangi Gupta (Co-founder Sportvot) and Shankar Sivaramakrishnan (Co-founder Banyan Board, a sports, video tech company) said, "It's difficult for Indian start-ups to access the global tech market."

Siddharth Deshmukh, a sports tech innovator, who launched the world's first smart arena with NBA team Sacramento Kings a few years ago, said he's unable to duplicate that in India as private parties won't invest since most stadiums here are government owned. "Sports tech is a ‘need' in India and not a ‘want' and this gap has to be bridged soon," said Deshmukh.

Steele summed it up perfectly, offering to bridge this gap through Plug and Play: "Our global network gives start-ups access to an ecosystem of partners, venture capitalists and resources, all under one roof."