ELMS Sports Foundation

What ELMS Sports Foundation does

ELMS Sports Foundation is an Indian non-profit foundation established in December 2017, focused on improving physical literacy and high-performance sports outcomes in India. It operates four core program lines: (1) Project Chhalaang, a school-based physical literacy initiative working with 50,000+ students across 700 schools and 12 districts; (2) a High Performance Program anchored by a Public-Private Partnership with the Sports Authority of Gujarat at the Nadiad Academy, training 318 athletes across seven disciplines; (3) Physical Literacy Training Programs for PE teachers, having trained 10,000+ teachers across Indian states including Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat, Mizoram, and others; and (4) the High Performance Leadership Program, an online program for sports administrators delivered with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation and Loughborough University. The foundation's underlying "technology" is a proprietary India-specific physical literacy curriculum adapted from the international Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) framework, combined with on-the-ground sports science expertise (physiotherapists, sports psychologists, nutritionists, strength and conditioning trainers).

The foundation was founded under the guidance of Olympic champions Pullela Gopichand and Abhinav Bindra, and is promoted by Jalaj Dani (co-promoter of Asian Paints) and Vita Dani (sports entrepreneur and co-owner of Chennaiyin FC), with Reliance Foundation as a committed supporter. ELMS is governed by a board that includes Arjuna Awardees Kamlesh Mehta and Monalisa Barua Mehta, and is operationally led by CEO Rajesh Rajagopalan with VPs for High Performance and Program/Product Design. The revenue model is non-commercial: the foundation does not sell products or charge fees for its programs, and is funded instead through corporate philanthropy and CSR (Tata Trusts, Reliance Foundation, Ambuja Cement, SBI Foundation, Bajaj, Piramal), government PPP contracts (Sports Authority of Gujarat, state education departments), and partnerships with sports bodies (Olympic Gold Quest). Distribution is primarily B2G and B2B2C via state education departments, community-based organizations, and online platforms, with no publicly disclosed pricing.

The organization has achieved measurable outcomes including 95 medals at the Nadiad Academy in FY18-19 (42% increase YoY, 12 international medals), 252 total medals across national championships from 2017-18 to 2019-20, and recognition through ISO 9001:2015 certification and SAI accreditation for Khelo India athlete training. As a non-profit with no public revenue disclosures, headcount of approximately 15-20 named personnel, and grant-based funding, ELMS operates at modest absolute scale relative to its geographic footprint, with growth concentrated in expanding state-level physical literacy contracts and deepening high-performance sports programming.

Name

ELMS Sports Foundation

Legal name

ELMS Sports Foundation

Website

https://elmssportsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ELMS Sports Foundation is an Indian non-profit founded in 2017 that delivers physical literacy training for PE teachers and school children, high-performance athlete development through a PPP at Nadiad, and sports leadership programs, guided by Olympic champions Gopichand and Bindra and funded by corporate philanthropy and government partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Development and Physical Literacy Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Physical Education & Health Instruction (EDAJAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Strength & Conditioning / Performance Training (EDALAIAI), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK), Interscholastic Athletics (Varsity/JV Teams) (EDAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Physical literacy training
• Sports development programs
• PE teacher training
• High-performance athlete development
• Public-private sports partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation/Non-profit Operations: ELMS Sports Foundation operates as a non-profit organization focused on physical literacy and sports development in India. Revenue is generated through partnerships, sponsorships, and support from philanthropists rather than commercial product/service sales.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ELMS Sports Foundation delivers physical literacy training programs for PE teachers and school children across Indian states, alongside high-performance athlete development programs at centers such as Nadiad Academy in partnership with the Sports Authority of Gujarat. It also operates the Project Chhalaang initiative reaching 50,000+ students in 700 schools and runs the High Performance Leadership Program online for sports administrators. Revenue is generated through philanthropic grants, corporate sponsorships, and PPP contracts rather than priced products.

Product overview

ELMS Sports Foundation operates as a sports development organization offering a portfolio of programs focused on physical literacy and high-performance sports development in India. The core offerings include Project Chhalaang for school-based physical education, the High Performance Program for athlete development, Public-Private Partnership initiatives with government sports bodies, and Physical Literacy Training Programs for PE teachers. The High Performance Leadership Program serves as a specialized online course for sports administrators. These programs work together to advance the organization's mission of improving physical literacy and sporting excellence in India.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project Chhalaang (छलांग): An ELMS Sports Foundation initiative focused on providing physical education and sports opportunities to children in India, currently working with 50,000+ students in 700 schools across 12 districts

Products and services

• Project Chhalaang (Project छलांग) An ELMS Sports Foundation initiative providing physical literacy and sports education opportunities to children across India through school-based programs. Currently operational in 700 schools across 12 districts, working with 50,000+ students and delivered in partnership with 12 community-based organizations.
• High Performance Program A comprehensive program aimed at creating high-performance athletes and sports leaders through structured training, coaching excellence, and sports science support. Operates in partnership with Sports Authority of Gujarat at Nadiad Academy, training 318 athletes across 7 sports disciplines.
• Public-Private Partnership Program Collaborative sports development initiative working with government bodies like Sports Authority of Gujarat to improve athlete training systems through expertise, processes, and technology. ELMS provides High Performance Sports Consultants, physiotherapists, sports psychologists, nutritionists, and managers to government sports infrastructure.
• Physical Literacy Training Program Training programs for PE teachers, PTIs and coaches covering physical literacy concepts, curriculum development, and teaching methodologies across Indian states. Reaches over 10,000 PE teachers across India with both on-ground and online formats.
• High Performance Leadership Program An online foundation program for sports administrators focused on developing management and leadership capabilities in high-performance sport, conducted in partnership with Abhinav Bindra Foundation as knowledge partner and Loughborough University as knowledge partner. Features live lectures from experts across 6 modules.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95 medals won by Nadiad Academy athletes in FY 18-19, a 42% increase over previous year, including 12 international medals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Reliance FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited, committed to support ELMS Sports Foundation's vision of improving physical literacy and sporting excellence in India.
• Abhinav Bindra FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbhinav Bindra Foundation serves as Knowledge Partner for the High Performance Leadership Program. Founded by India's first Olympic Gold Medallist Abhinav Bindra, the foundation focuses on sports science and its implementation in India.
• Sports Authority of Gujarat (SAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic-Private Partnership to financially support and provide expertise for Nadiad Sports Complex to become a high-performance center. ELMS provides High Performance Sports Consultant, physiotherapists, sports psychologists, nutritionists, and managers to raise performance standards.
• Tata TrustscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTata Trusts partnered with ELMS Sports Foundation to sponsor the physical literacy program in Odisha state. The trust has been actively involved and invested in sports development in Odisha.
• Loughborough UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLoughborough University, recognized as the world's best sports university, collaborates on the High Performance Leadership Program as a knowledge partner, providing expertise in sports performance and development.
• Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerELMS contributed to OGQ's Coaches Excellence Program (CEP), a year-long training program for high-performance badminton coaches. ELMS team members Amit Malik and Pankaj Markandey were involved in conceptualizing, planning, designing, and delivering the badminton program.
• Ambuja CementsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner collaborating with ELMS for PE teacher training programs across India.
• SBI FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate social responsibility partner supporting ELMS training programs for physical education teachers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ProSport Development: India-based sports development organization using sport for social impact. Comparable in mission to use sports as a development tool, with overlapping school-based and under-served-community program models.
• Magic Bus India Foundation: India-focused youth development NGO using sport and life-skills curricula for children from under-served communities. Comparable in using sport as a vehicle for child development at scale across Indian states.

Broad incumbents

• Sports Authority of India (SAI): Government of India's apex sports body running academies and Khelo India. Comparable as the primary state counterpart that ELMS partners with and competes against for high-performance athlete development mandates.
• Reliance Foundation Youth Sports: Philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries running grassroots-to-elite sports programs across India. Comparable as a major CSR-funded sports development organization with broader scale and resources, and is both a supporter of ELMS and a potential competitor for state PPP mandates.
• Tata Trusts (Sports Portfolio): Philanthropic arm of Tata Group funding sports development in Odisha and beyond. Directly comparable as a major CSR funder of Indian sports initiatives — including being a current partner of ELMS — and a potential alternative delivery channel for similar programs.

Regional players

• Right To Play India: India office of international sport-for-development NGO. Comparable in mission to use sport for child development and teacher training in low-resource settings, with overlapping school-based program design.

Direct peers

• Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ): India-based non-profit foundation funding and supporting elite Olympic athletes. Directly comparable as a sports-development foundation that ELMS has already partnered with on coach training, competing for the same CSR and athlete-pipeline resources.
• GoSports Foundation: Indian non-profit supporting emerging athletes through scholarships and mentoring. Closely comparable as a foundation model focused on Indian sports talent development, overlapping with ELMS's high-performance mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ELMSsports
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ELMSSportsFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/ELMSsports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elmssports
• Instagraminstagram.com/elms_sports_foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ELMS Sports Foundation