Havas Play India’s Game Plan: Capturing India’s $130 Billion Sports Opportunity

Introduction

India’s sports and entertainment scene is no longer playing by the old rules. For years, cricket reigned supreme—an undisputed champion of audience attention and advertising budgets. But the field has widened. Today, kabaddi arenas echo with passionate chants, marathons turn city streets into moving festivals, and esports tournaments stream to millions of engaged young fans. The country’s sports economy, already valued at $52 billion, is racing towards a projected $130 billion by 2030.

This momentum is powered by more than just athletic performance. New leagues are carving out loyal fan bases, technology is transforming spectators into active participants, and brands are no longer content with sideline visibility—they want to be part of the story.

Seeing this change, Havas Play India, the sports, fun, and content part of Havas Media Network India, is getting ready for next time of connection. In middle of this change are two heads with matching ideas: Uday Mohan, now Chief Operating Officer for both Havas Media India and Havas Play India, and Prachi Narayan, newly made Managing Partner of Havas Play India. Their goal? To break walls and join media, content, culture, trade, and ideas into one smooth, ready-for-future offer. 

Sensing this shift, Havas Play India, the sports, entertainment, and content arm of Havas Media Network India, is repositioning itself for the next era of engagement. At the centre of this transformation are two leaders with complementary visions: Uday Mohan, now Chief Operating Officer for both Havas Media India and Havas Play India, and Prachi Narayan, newly appointed Managing Partner of Havas Play India. Their mission is to break down silos and unite media, content, culture, commerce, and creativity into one seamless, future-ready offering. 

A $130 Billion Opportunity Waiting to Be Captured

Sports marketing in India is no longer a seasonal play centred around marquee cricket tournaments. According to Havas Play’s 2024 report, Emerging Sports: India’s Next Billion Dollar Sports Marketing Opportunity, emerging sports alone generated ₹2,559 crore—14% of the sports industry’s revenue—growing at 24% annually.

Leagues like Pro Kabaddi and Indian Super League are making big groups of crazy fans and pulling big names like Dream11, Hero MotoCorp, Puma, Adidas. Sports like running in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru are turning people joining for fun into big show. Also, esports and fantasy games made watchers become active players. 

For companies, this change means only one thing: games now give all-year chance to connect, mixing live fun, online stories, and shopping into one exciting place. 

A Strategic Leadership Realignment

In this changing time, Havas Play India’s new setup is right and planned 

• Uday Mohan will now handle both Havas Media India and Havas Play India as COO, making sure there is better link between the group’s media, ideas, and event work. 

• Prachi Narayan, in her role as Managing Partner, will lead the integrated Havas Play proposition across four key verticals—content, culture, commerce, and creativity—reporting directly to Uday. 

According to Mohit Joshi, CEO of Havas Media Network India, the reorganisation is designed to make operations “sharper, simpler, and faster” while nurturing internal talent. 

The Four Pillars of Havas Play India

Under Prachi’s leadership, each vertical is headed by a seasoned specialist: 

1. Entertainment — Abhay Kumar (AVP, Head of Entertainment)  Focuses on integrating brands into film, OTT, music, and pop culture, along with creating original IPs that can travel across platforms. 

2. Content — Niharika Goswami (AVP, Head of Content)  Crafts influence-led, culturally relevant storytelling tailored for digital and social ecosystems. 

3. Sports — Uditvanu Das (AVP, Head of Sports)  Delivers sports marketing strategies, sponsorship deals, and fan engagement models that leverage both traditional and emerging formats. 

4. Social — Geetika Thakur (Sr. VP, Head of Social)  Builds community-driven, culture-first narratives that drive conversation and connection online. 

Why Structure Matters Now More Than Ever

In a hyperconnected world, the value of a brand moment often depends on how quickly it can be created and amplified. A trending sports clip can generate millions of impressions in few  hours—but without the right structure, brands risk missing the wave.

By integrating its verticals, Havas Play India is aiming for speed with substance. This means not only reacting fast but doing so in a way that turns fleeting attention into sustained brand affinity. The company’s model offers brands an end-to-end playbook—from on-ground activations to influencer-led digital narratives—without the delays of siloed decision-making. 

Betting Big on Sports Marketing

The timing couldn’t be better. With India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics, sports are on track to become a central pillar of national pride and commercial opportunity. Indian companies are also stepping onto the global stage—Tech Mahindra is backing chess, Apollo Tyres is in international football, and BKT Tires sponsors rugby, basketball, and motorsports leagues abroad.

Fantasy sports platforms, livestreaming in multiple languages, in-play statistics, and interactive fan tools are making sports consumption more immersive than ever. For brands, these developments open up a year-round calendar of activation possibilities that blend culture, technology, and commerce. 

The Bigger Picture

India’s emergence as a multi-sport nation didn’t happen overnight. The 2012 London Olympics, where the country won six medals, ignited public and corporate interest beyond cricket. The launch of leagues like the ISL in 2013 and PKL in 2014 created fresh commercial pathways. Now, with digital platforms collapsing the distance between the stands and the screen, the opportunities for brand storytelling are multiplying. 

Havas Play India’s change in setup shows they know this is not just a short trend — it is the normal now. For brands, the choice is easy: adjust to a world where sports, fun, and culture mix in more easy ways, or be left out of the game. 

Looking Ahead 

With Uday Mohan steering strategy across media and experiential platforms, and Prachi Narayan weaving together its creative, cultural, and commercial threads, Havas Play India is positioning itself for a market where agility is as critical as scale. If the projections hold, and India’s sports economy does cross the $130 billion mark by 2030, this could be the decade when sports marketing moves from a supporting role to centre stage in brand strategy.

And when that happens, the moves being made inside Havas Play today may well be seen as the blueprint for how to win in the year-round game of culture, commerce, and connection.

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