The GMR Rugby Premier League (RPL), India’s innovative franchise-based rugby competition, has announced sponsorship associations with JSW Cement, Capgemini India and Amul, ahead of the inaugural season.
While Capgemini has been stated the league’s official transformation partner, the other two brands have signed on as official partners.
These high-profile collaborations are a huge step forward for the league, demonstrating increased corporate interest in the sport and its potential in the Indian market. The support of industry executives from many industries demonstrates strong belief in the RPL’s ambition to raise rugby’s prominence and cultivate a lively audience across the country.
Capgemini India is the Indian division of Capgemini, a multinational firm that provides consulting, technology, and outsourcing services. Capgemini India (particularly, Capgemini Technology Services India Limited) is a public limited corporation that provides a variety of services, including application development, business intelligence, and application maintenance outsourcing. Capgemini India has a substantial presence in India, employing about 175,000 people across 13 sites.
Capgemini has had a global partnership with rugby for over 30 years, and its new relationship with GMR RPL builds on its prior India engagement as the associate sponsor for the Rugby 7s Women & Girls and Rugby 7s Men & Boys teams
Ashwin Yardi, CEO of Capgemini in India, said, “Sports is a key pillar of our global engagement and our partnership with IRFU and GMR sports for RPL has further strengthened our commitment to inclusion on and off the field. We aim to make rugby in India more inclusive and accessible, supporting player development from grassroots to the professional level.”
Furthermore, JSW Cement and Amul have repeatedly proved their commitment to the growth of Indian sports via smart sponsorships and collaborations in a variety of competitions. JSW Cement, a member of the JSW Group with a strong history in sports development, has actively supported projects to encourage grassroots talent and construct professional sporting ecosystems. Similarly, Amul, one of India’s most prominent dairy brands, has long supported Indian sports, sponsoring leagues ranging from cricket and football, and most recently, rugby.
Their participation in the GMR Rugby Premier League demonstrates their ongoing confidence in the potential of sport to inspire, connect, and unify communities throughout India.
The GMR RPL, which will include 34 matches in its inaugural season, will begin on June 15 at Andheri Sports Complex (Mumbai Football Arena).
