Name

Reliance Foundation Young Champs

Legal name

Reliance Foundation

Website

https://rfyoungchamps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Football Academy

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Boarding Schools & Residential Academies (MPAKAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Single-Sport Skill Academies (Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, etc.) (MPAKAJAB), Youth Athlete Development & Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) (HSADAEAE), Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF), Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Youth football academy
• Residential sports academy
• Talent development programs
• Grassroots football league
• Sports scholarship program

Headquarters

HQ city

Navi Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Scholarship Program: RFYC is a fully funded residential scholarship program supported entirely by the Reliance Foundation. Each year RFYC offers fully funded scholarships to young talents from across the country following a comprehensive yearlong scouting process. The academy does not generate revenue - it is a CSR initiative of Reliance Foundation focused on youth football development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reliance Foundation Young Champs is a residential youth football academy based in Navi Mumbai that offers fully funded scholarships to talented Indian footballers aged U-14 to U-19. Scholars receive elite coaching, sports science, education (NIOS), nutrition, medical care, accommodation, and life-skills training, identified each year through a pan-India scouting process culminating in a final selection camp.

Product overview

Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) operates a single, unified residential youth football academy programme based in Navi Mumbai, supported entirely by the Reliance Foundation. The core offering is the RFYC Academy scholarship programme, which recruits talented footballers aged U-14 to U-19 through a multi-layered scouting process and provides fully-funded residential development covering coaching, sports science, education, nutrition, and life skills. Supplementary products and programmes include the RFYC Naupang (Children) League — a grassroots competitive football league for children U-5 to U-13 run in partnership with the Mizoram Football Association; the RFYC U-19 Internship Programme offering departmental rotations; an AI-powered remote scouting tool built on the AiSCOUT platform; and the Aftercare Programme supporting released scholars. Together, these form a vertically integrated talent development ecosystem spanning initial identification through to professional transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RFYC Naupang League: A grassroots children's football league launched in partnership with Mizoram Football Association, targeting children aged U5 to U13 across four districts in Mizoram.

Products and services

• Reliance Foundation Young Champs Academy A residential youth football scholarship programme in Navi Mumbai for talented Indian footballers (U-14 to U-19), providing fully funded elite coaching, sports science, education, nutrition, accommodation, and holistic development.
• RFYC Naupang (Children) League Grassroots children's football league in Mizoram targeting U-5 to U-13 age groups across Aizawl, Champhai, Lunglei, and Kolasib districts, providing at least 30 games per season and integrating coach and referee education.
• RFYC U-19 Internship Programme An internal internship programme for U-19 scholars rotating across academy departments to gain work experience and prepare for post-academy careers in football-related fields.
• RFYC AiSCOUT Scouting Platform An AI-based remote scouting tool that evaluates uploaded player videos using machine learning and produces a National Rating Score, extending RFYC's talent identification reach across India.
• RFYC Aftercare Programme A support programme for scholars who leave the academy without a professional contract, offering financial assistance and educational support during their transition beyond football.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 graduates signed professional contracts with Indian football clubs in 2023 alone
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tottenham Hotspur FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2023Visit by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation coach Sabrina Dias to RFYC in Navi Mumbai as part of culture of dialogue and grassroot football promotion. Engaged with coaches and young enthusiasts, conducted training sessions focusing on ball mastery, passing, and 1v1 situations. Dias praised RFYC facilities as on par with international standards and recommended as benchmark for football development in India.
• Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 December 2022Partnership to support development of RFYC scholars through international youth football tournaments in Asia and knowledge sharing on probiotics and nutrition. Yakult provides probiotic products to help scholars maintain immunity, improve health, and reduce infection risk. Yakult team works with coaching and performance teams on nutrition knowledge sharing. Also enables participation in top Asian youth tournaments.
• Mizoram Football AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2022Reliance Foundation and MFA joined hands to expand and create hyper-local grassroots football pathway in Mizoram through RFYC Naupang (Children) League. League runs in 4 districts (Aizawl, Champhai, Lunglei, Kolasib) with children aged 5-13 years (U5-U13). Provides minimum 30 competitive games per season. Includes Coach Education, Referee Development, Weekly Coaching Programs, Quarterly Camps, and best players invited to Mumbai academy. Over 160 teams with 1,500+ boys and girls participated in first season.
• AiSCOUTcoreTechnology or Integration · 21 May 2021Partnership with UK-based AI company AiSCOUT for remote scouting of players. The platform uses video-based artificial intelligence to analyze players' technique, skill, stamina, and overall footballing ability. Uses National Rating Score (NRS) to quantify physical performance across age groups. Has helped identify 8+ quality players over 3 seasons including Uthkarsh Bora who was scouted from Shillong region. Platform allows RFYC to cast wider net and find talents from remote areas during COVID lockdowns and beyond.
• LaLigaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2017RFYC invited to Spain by LaLiga for 2-week youth friendly tour with matches against academy teams of Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid, Valencia, Villarreal, Rayo Vallecano, and Leganes. 30 RFYC talents in U-12 and U-14 categories participated with Head Coach Mark Vaessen and support staff. Tour included watching live LaLiga matches.
• Premier LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Premier League-ISL partnership supporting football development in India. In 2016, 22 RFYC Young Champs visited Premier League clubs in England for 12-day tour including Chelsea FC, Crystal Palace FC, Southampton FC, West Bromwich Albion FC, Manchester City FC, Liverpool FC. Ex-Swansea FC footballer Garry Monk and Southampton FC Academy Manager Matt Hale visited RFYC as part of cooperation. Premier Skills coach development program running in India since 2007.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• La Masia (FC Barcelona Academy): FC Barcelona's globally renowned residential youth academy and the gold standard for football talent development worldwide. Operates at far greater scale and as a reference benchmark RFYC uses to evaluate its own programs and partnerships.
• Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan Academies: The network of Premier League club academies (Category 1–4) operating elite youth development programs in England. RFYC has a direct partnership with the Premier League and benchmarks its systems against these globally leading youth structures.

Direct peers

• East Bengal FC Academy: The youth development arm of historic ISL/I-League club East Bengal FC, which has signed multiple RFYC graduates. Operates residential and non-residential youth programs and competes for the same Indian talent pipeline as RFYC.
• Mumbai City FC Academy: The youth academy of ISL club Mumbai City FC, sharing geographic overlap with RFYC in Mumbai/Navi Mumbai. It benefits from the same City Football Group resources and is a frequent destination for RFYC graduates, but operates as a club-affiliated academy with a different model.
• DSK Shivajians / Liverpool FC International Academy (India): An India-based residential football academy established through a partnership with Liverpool FC, operating a similar full-scholarship residential model. Competes directly with RFYC for India's top youth football talent and ISL placement outcomes.
• Bengaluru FC Academy: The youth development arm of ISL club Bengaluru FC, one of India's most established club academies. Operates a residential-style setup with multiple age groups, competing head-to-head with RFYC for the same talent pool and ISL placement slots.
• Chennaiyin FC Academy: ISL club Chennaiyin FC's youth academy, another destination for RFYC graduates. Operates a structured youth development program across age groups with direct ISL pathways, competing for talent and feeding the same professional football ecosystem.
• Sudeva Delhi FC Academy: A Delhi-based residential football academy and I-League club focused on youth development, with a similar full-residential model targeting talented Indian youth. Competes with RFYC for top-tier young talent and ISL placement outcomes.
• Indian Arrows (AIFF Developmental Team): The All India Football Federation's developmental team that fielded U-19 and U-17 players in I-League to bridge the academy-to-pro gap. Operates as the national federation's youth-to-pro pathway, overlapping RFYC's placement mission and competing for the same player cohort.

Regional players

• AIFF Elite Academy Programme: The national football federation's residential academy program running elite youth development initiatives across India, including scouting and tournament pathways. Sets the accreditation framework (AIFF Elite 3 Star) that RFYC operates under and competes within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rfyoungchamps

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reliance Foundation Young Champs