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Image source: AFL<\/p>\n Image source: AFL<\/p>\n
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon will travel to India this weekend as the league deepens its push to build a foothold in one of the world\u2019s largest sporting markets, with meetings planned across sport, media and business in a trip designed to test what \u201cfooty in India\u201d could look like at scale.<\/p>\n
The week-long visit will include a stop in Mumbai, with the AFL\u2019s head of strategy, Walter Lee, also joining the delegation. AFL figures are expected to meet a range of Indian sports administrators and business leaders as the league seeks partnerships, pathways and commercial insight in a country where global sports consumption has accelerated alongside rapid growth in digital audiences.<\/p>\n
While the AFL has long maintained small international programs, India has moved into sharper focus due to its large population size, young demographic profile, and the reach of mobile-first sports content. The AFL\u2019s premise is straightforward: even modest growth in participation, viewership and community engagement can translate into meaningful scale in a market of more than a billion people\u2014particularly when paired with the large Indian diaspora in Australia.<\/p>\n
Participation in Australian rules in India has risen sharply, from approximately\u00a0150 players\u00a0nationwide to\u00a0more than 20,000 across 11 states.\u00a0This figure, which the league is using internally as evidence that the sport can travel when local pathways are resourced and visible, is a notable increase.<\/p>\n
The India trip is the latest marker in a broader AFL strategy that has combined offshore participation programs, targeted broadcast experimentation and diaspora engagement. In 2025, the AFL backed alternate-language broadcasts\u2014most notably Hindi coverage\u2014aimed at lowering barriers for new audiences and signalling that the league is prepared to invest in cultural accessibility, not just export a product. The league has flagged plans to repeat Hindi commentary offerings in 2026.<\/p>\n
The AFL has also launched and promoted AFL Desi, a content and community handle created to connect South Asian audiences\u2014both in Australia and abroad\u2014with the sport through culturally tailored storytelling, simplified explainers and community-led promotion.<\/p>\n
The league\u2019s India work sits alongside its wider multicultural participation agenda at home. In 2025, the AFL launched a Cultural Diversity Action Plan, aiming to grow participation and strengthen pathways for communities that have historically been underrepresented in the code\u2014an effort the league has positioned as both a participation priority and a long-term sustainability strategy.<\/p>\n
On the elite side, the AFL has also pointed to emerging representation as a signal that pathways are developing. Collingwood\u2019s selection of Jai Saxena through the club\u2019s Next Generation Academy system was promoted as a milestone, with the club describing him as only the second dual-Indian heritage player drafted to the AFL.<\/p>\n
The AFL\u2019s international approach has typically relied on incremental steps\u2014participation programs, academy tours and broadcast tests\u2014rather than headline-grabbing exhibition matches. The league revived its US Draft Combine and has continued offshore academy travel, presenting these as part of a broader pipeline strategy rather than isolated events.<\/p>\n
What remains unclear is how quickly the AFL expects India to shift from an \u201cemerging participation\u201d market into a meaningful commercial one. The league has not publicly committed to an India-based competition, franchise model, or touring match, and observers note that India\u2019s sports market is intensely competitive, dominated by cricket and increasingly shaped by global football, basketball and combat sports content.<\/p>\n
However, the AFL\u2019s view\u2014reflected in its recent multilingual broadcast experiments and diaspora-facing content strategy\u2014is that a long runway matters more than immediate returns. The India visit is expected to inform next steps, including which partnerships are viable, how the game can be presented to new audiences, and where investment would yield genuine participation rather than one-off promotional spikes.<\/p>\n
For the AFL, the near-term objective appears to be establishing sustained presence: building relationships with Indian sports decision-makers, improving the quality and consistency of local participation pathways, and expanding culturally relevant coverage that can be consumed in both India and Australia. The longer-term ambition\u2014making Australian rules recognisable beyond its traditional heartlands\u2014will depend on whether those foundations can translate into repeatable growth.<\/p>\n
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