Priya Kumari – Enigmatic Horizon Staff (Sub Editor)
The Indian Premier League is considered the world’s greatest cricket league. It was first founded by the BCCI in 2008, when players from different states of India represented their states and competed against each other in T20 format matches to claim the title. It is the most entertaining sports event, which has earned immense popularity for the last fifteen years, and it can also emerge as the largest and most successful sports event worldwide. With the advent of the IPL, some of India’s best players, who rarely made money, became rich within a short period of time.
The major impacts that the Indian economy has been able to enhance since the inception of the IPL are-
Generates employment on a large scale – Since its inception, the IPL has played an important role in building a robust sports industry in India, and it has been able to create an atmosphere of generating employment opportunities among the youth on a large scale not only during the tournament itself but also after the playing season, enhancing India’s economy.
For the IPL to function, it requires various kinds of staff, such as security personnel, cheerleaders, stadium employees, gatekeepers, ticketing staff, logistics handers, etc. Initially, most of the staff were hired from outside, but now most of them are being hired from India, thus providing people with employment opportunities. It has also inspired people from other sports such as kabaddi, hockey, badminton, and football to start their own leagues. As more leagues are organized, it will increase job opportunities among the youth as more people will take sports seriously and begin investing in them. Big businesses, their stakeholders, sports figures, and up-and-coming players all contribute to employment. The sports equipment market is also witnessing a huge rise. The IPL team generates revenue through their sponsors and the sale of their kit and clothing merchandise. Overall, it has been able to build a market by strengthening the sports ecosystem.
Boosts Tourism – The IPL also plays a significant role in boosting tourism in an ecosystem as fans of players from different countries visit India to cheer on them. This helps boost the sports tourism sector overseas.
Media exposure and Viewership – Another important factor is the emergence of tier-2 cities for media exposure. The media plays a great role in covering IPL matches that are organized in different cities in India. Coca-Cola, Maruti Suzuki, MRF, and other well-known businesses from around the world sponsor it.
Hotels and Restaurants Business – The IPL season has seen a boom in the travel, hotel, and restaurant businesses. Travelers from overseas love to explore Indian cuisines, and the number of check- ins increases during the 60-day tournament.
Therefore, the IPL is not only a source of entertainment for sports lovers, but it has also proved to be a major source of income and employment in India, especially among the youth. The IPL has been hugely successful in generating employment, and it emerges as the largest and most successful sporting event worldwide.
