India has been chosen as one of the 12 countries to participate in the FIFA Women’s Development Programme (Commercial Strategy 2026), FIFA announced on Wednesday.
The programme also includes Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Scotland, Canada, Mexico, Finland, Ghana, Jordan, Lithuania, and Paraguay, according to a press release from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
India’s inclusion was confirmed by FIFA following an initial application from the AIFF and a detailed presentation of the commercial strategy and plans.
The online programme will run from May to October 2026 and will be customised by FIFA for various stakeholders involved in women’s football in India.
With the AIFF now supported by a commercial partner, the programme aims to equip clubs with tools and knowledge to develop sustainable models and prepare them for the forthcoming women’s club licensing system to be introduced by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said: “I think this is the perfect time for us to grow the commercial aspect of women’s football in India as a whole. The qualification of three of our women’s teams (senior, U20, and U17) for the AFC Asian Cups in their respective age categories shows our potential, and the ASMITA U13 Women’s Football League has helped us create the base at the youth level.”
He added: “Now that the clubs will receive this kind of capacity building on developing commercial strategies, securing sponsorships, engaging fans, and much more, the whole ecosystem will benefit. I think the initiative by FIFA is excellent, and we are glad to have been selected for it. We hope that the clubs and stakeholders in women’s football will benefit from this, especially with IWL clubs coming under club licensing requirements very soon, as set by the AFC.”