Indian illustrator and visual artist Anand RK and investigative journalist Suparna Sharma, along with Bloomberg’s investigative reporter Natalie Obiko Pearson, have won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Illustrated Reporting and Commentary for trAPPed
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Amazon Great Summer Sale 2026 starts 8th May: Big discounts on appliances, extra bank deals, and early offers revealedAmazon Great Summer Sale is coming in 3 days: Huge price cuts on
Chennai Super Kings travel to the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday for their IPL 2026 clash against Delhi Capitals, as the cash-rich T20 franchise league enters the business end of the season. The enticing matchup will pit CSK head coach Stephen Fleming against DC’s Hemang Badani
Mirinda’s ‘Smile Please’ Campaign Brings a Fresh, Youth-First Energy to Everyday MomentsWith 'Smile Please', Mirinda introduces a vibrant visual identity and interactive packaging to inspire joy and community connection. Published on: May 05
After three weeks on the sidelines nursing a hamstring injury, Rohit Sharma made a grand return to IPL 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. Rohit wasted little time reminding everyone of his class, producing 84 off 44 balls (6x4, 7x6) to breathe life back into Mumbai Indians’ flickering
At a sports summit in Mumbai, female influencers addressed young women athletes on leveraging social media for financial independence and visibility, highlighting a shift in India's sports culture. With the Indian sports market booming—expected to reach $130 billion by 2030—female athletes are pushing for a greater share, despite being overshadowed by men.
At a sports summit in Mumbai, female influencers addressed young women athletes on leveraging social media for financial independence and visibility, highlighting a shift in India's sports culture. With the Indian sports market booming—expected to reach $130 billion by 2030—female athletes are pushing for a greater share, despite being overshadowed by men.
There were the usual speakers you would expect at a sports summit: Current and former champions shared lessons from their journeys. Business and industry leaders presented numbers showing growth in viewership.
But as dozens of young female athletes filed into an auditorium in India's commercial hub of Mumbai, the choice of two female influencers to deliver pep talks spoke volumes about this moment for Indian women in sports. They talked about how to be authentic on social media to connect with fans, grow their audiences and make money off it.
One of them, Aanchal Agarwal, a comic and a former amateur badminton player, focused on financial independence. Agarwal -- who described herself as "so chronically online that, even as I am talking to you right now, in my head I am watching reels" -- said that an athlete's shelf life is short and that they should seize their moment.
"Get that coin, girl!" she told The Sports Women Huddle.
India's sports market is booming, and female athletes who have long labored in the shadow of men want to make sure they get their share of it.
A recent study by Google and Deloitte estimates that there are 655 million sports fans in the country, and that the broader sports market is expected to be worth $130 billion by 2030, growing at nearly double the rate of the country's GDP.
For female athletes, the growth has brought new sports leagues, growing attendance and viewership, especially in cricket, the national pastime. But the windfalls are minuscule compared with those earned by their male counterparts. The women feel constrained by a male-dominated system -- from organizers to advertisers -- that is only now slowly changing.
Jinisha Sharma, the director of Capri Sports, which counts two women's sports franchises among its five, said that investing in women's sports was reaping dividends in other parts of the world. Among the successes she named: rising attendance at women's soccer matches in Britain; the American basketball star Caitlin Clark lifting up the WNBA; and her fellow American, Ilona Maher, drawing large audiences to women's rugby.
"None of that happened overnight. It happened because people believed, long before the proof was obvious," Sharma said. "That same potential exists in India. But what holds us back isn't talent or desire -- it's the barriers that start so early and are so often overlooked."
India is slowly becoming a multisport nation. In urban centers, more people are playing pickup sports, including basketball, pickleball and badminton. There is community building through boot camps and exercise groups like "Sisters in Sweat." But cricket is still the most dominant sport, with nearly half a billion fans. It dominates the market and penetrates almost every home.
India's commercial cricket league, the Indian Premier League, is valued at more than $10 billion. Its current $16 million-a-match media rights are second only to the NFL's $27 million, according to industry reports.
When the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the sport's highest body, decided three years ago to set up a sister league, the Women's Premier League, some of the country's largest corporations stepped in with more than $500 million combined to buy five franchises, sums previously unheard of in women's sports.
These investments ripple down to the grassroots, giving girls hope that there are sustainable careers for women in sports. In 2023, the highest-paid female cricket player signed a contract for about $415,000 in the first auction. That is less than one-third of the highest-paid male player's take in the men's first auction, but transformative. Until a decade ago, female players competing in the World Cup still needed other day jobs.
Now, there are women's commercial leagues at the state level, and junior competition at the district level -- with scouts crisscrossing the country.
Providing women with competitive game time and institutional support will help enable them to become stars, said Namrata Parekh, the co-founder of Meraki Sport and Entertainment and the CEO of a men's football club in West Bengal State.
"We are a hero-worshiping country. More than the sport, it is about the winning stories," she said.
Preparations for the women's cricket World Cup next month demonstrate how slow development has been. Just weeks before the start, the venue for the final remains undecided, and there is no word on how to get tickets -- leading many experts to point out that even the sport's largest event is treated as an afterthought to the men's.
"Are we living in a man's world when it comes to sport? The answer is yes," Sania Mirza, a former star Indian tennis player, said.
One major hurdle is persuading advertisers to expand the range of products that women can promote, which requires a shift in thinking. Mirza said female athletes face a quandary in branding, because Indian society expects contradictory things of them.
"We like world beaters in this part of the world, but we don't want them to act like world beaters. We still want them to act like they are ," she said, using a Hindi word for demure. "So if you act like a world beater, they're like, 'They have attitude and they're arrogant.' But if then you are acting like, oh, you're , then they say 'Oh, you don't have killer instinct.'"
"There's no winning in that," she added. "In short, you don't do anything for other people -- you do for yourself."
That is where social media comes in.
Some of the most prominent female athletes have millions of followers and were growing their bases before they got coverage in traditional media. They share their moments of glory, but also their lighter sides -- spending time with their pets, doing the floss dance to shake up the crowd or teasing a teammate over a penchant for naps.
The influencers speaking at the summit in Mumbai emphasized that people are interested to see how athletes train, what they eat and what they wear. If they connect with followers, the money will follow. Female athletes -- from cricketers to boxers and badminton players -- are now the faces of sneakers, banks, sunscreen, tires and house paint.
In between sessions and panels in Mumbai, the young athletes posed, flexed and smiled in selfie booths. They also met with brand representatives and agencies that can help them find advertising and sponsorship deals.
At one table, three young swimmers were talking to Smriti Dubey and Shikhar Vaidya, the co-founders of ReDesyn, an online platform that matches content creators with products on a shopping platform. The company was looking for micro-ambassadors -- people with smaller but well-engaged followings to promote products.
"We are trying to find athletes who are underrepresented and help you get brands," Vaidya told them.
The athletes pulled out their phones and opened Instagram to show their pages and followers. The founders discussed how their platform works, and how their team crunches data to match a product with an athlete.
Then, the athletes had to rush back inside for another panel.
"How to get in touch with you?" Dubey asked Astha Choudhury, a swimmer who holds a national record.
"Instagram, obviously," she replied.
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: Sports Ministry plans pan-India National Sports Day celebrations Bill Gates addressed Epstein ties ‘candidly’ at foundation meeting Spurs have addressed their Tudor error - but cannot afford another Doping Concerns Being Addressed For 2036 Olympics Serious questions which must be addressed Why Are Gen Z So Obsessed with Becoming Influencers Both of these influencers are successful - but only one is human Influencers clash over India’s protein needs Bad News For Delhi Influencers Dubai influencers buy Burj Khalifa view apartment for daughter
IPL 2026 DC vs CSK Live Cricket Score, Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings Today Match Updates: Delhi Capitals must rediscover consistency after three painful home defeats as they face Chennai Super Kings, with both sides on eight points from nine games.IPL 2026 DC vs CSK Live Cricket Score
1 days ago
Phil Foden has reached an agreement in principle over a new four-year deal at Manchester City. The 25-year-old's current contract was due to expire next summer but fresh terms will keep him at Etihad Stadium until 2030, with the option of another year
1 days ago
Where is KC-135 tanker? US flying gas station reportedly goes missing over Qatar: ‘7700 distress signal issued’A Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker transmitted a 7700 distress signal over the Persian Gulf, but CENTCOM has not confirmed any crash or emergency. Updated on: May 05
1 days ago
Study of seasonal pollutant trends key to tackling air pollution: DataStudy of seasonal pollutant trends key to tackling air pollution: Data Published on: May 05, 2026 5:09 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link New Delhi, A decade-long analysis of air quality data shows that pollutants in Indian cities
1 days ago
AP POLYCET Result 2026 Out: The State Board of Technical Education and Training (SBTET), Andhra Pradesh, has announced the Polytechnic Common Entrance Test (POLYCET) or AP POLYCET 2026 results today, May 5. Candidates who took the exam can check their results and rank cards on the official website
1 days ago
Zoë Kravitz keeps her rumoured engagement ring hidden behind her gown at 2026 Met Gala; Harry Styles skips eventFans eager to get a peak at Zoe Kravitz's rumoured engagement ring were left disappointed after the Met Gala, as she chose to hide it in photos. May 5, 2026
1 days ago
Sensex Today: The Nifty50 and Sensex gave up their previous session’s gains, dragged lower by weakness in banking, realty, oil and gas stocks amid rising concerns over escalating tensions in West Asia. The Nifty50 declined 86.50 points, or 0.36%, to close at 24,032.80, while the Sensex fell 251
1 days ago
Arsenal’s fledgling and uncertain hopes for a long-awaited English Premier League title received a massive boost on Monday, after title challengers Manchester City drew 3-3 with Everton and dropped points, helping Arsenal strengthen their position at the top
1 days ago
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Monday dismissed two petitions by Vedanta Limited against Adani Enterprises being selected to acquire debt-ridden company Jaiprakash Associates, The Indian Express reported. Vedanta had not made any grounds for the National Company Law Tribunal to
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Need instant cooling? These heavy-duty ACs cool a room in under 5 minutesRooms heating up fast? These ACs cool in minutes, handle voltage swings, and run efficiently
1 days ago
RSSB Lab Assistant Admit Card 2026 releasing today at rssb.rajasthan.gov.in, here's how to downloadRSSB Lab Assistant Admit Card 2026 will be released today, May 5, 2026. The steps to download the hall ticket is given here. Published on: May 05
1 days ago
The Trinamool Congress focused on Bengali identity, but voters prioritized economic issues. Unemployment and corruption overshadowed cultural concerns. The BJP countered by highlighting governance failures. This shift proved decisive, leading to a verdict on administration rather than identity
1 days ago
Are you eating watermelons wrong? Doctor shares this one big mistake: ‘Avoid eating late at night to prevent…’Find out what the correct timings and healthy portion sizes are to eat watermelon properly. Published on: May 05, 2026 5:34 PM IST By Adrija Dey Share via Copy link Watermelon is a
1 days ago
As temperatures continue to soar across India, heatwaves are no longer just a seasonal discomfort but a growing public health concern. Increasingly frequent and intense, these extreme weather events are affecting not only vulnerable populations but also otherwise healthy individuals
1 days ago
Skeet shooters miss out on final spots in ISSF World Cup ShotgunSkeet shooters miss out on final spots in ISSF World Cup Shotgun Published on: May 05, 2026 5:09 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Almaty , Indian skeet shooters disappointed as they failed the reach the finals in both the men's and
1 days ago
The US and Iran are locked in a dangerous standoff, fueled by mutual miscalculations and overconfidence. Ancient Greek concepts of error and pride offer a framework for understanding the irrational risk of renewed war, as both sides overestimate their strengths and underestimate their weaknesses
1 days ago
Film star-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay is on the cusp of history in Tamil Nadu state. On Monday, his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) defied all naysayers to almost sweep the state election, marking a break in the established political order
1 days ago
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has announced applications for its 2026 paid internship programme, offering engineering students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in defence research and technology. The internship
1 days ago
AI is transforming India’s healthcare ecosystem, enabling faster diagnostics, smarter treatments, and wider access to care. The Healthcare & MedTech category recognises solutions delivering real-world impact and clinical accuracy. It celebrates innovations that are scalable, responsible
1 days ago
An explosion at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan province has killed 26 people and left 61 wounded, according to state media. Rescue operations have wrapped up at the Huasheng Fireworks plant in the southern city of Liuyang, after an explosion on Monday afternoon forced authorities to evacuate
1 days ago
Apple has held exploratory discussions about using Intel and Samsung Electronics to produce the main processors for its devices, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the deliberations. Apple executives have made visits to a Samsung plant under development in
1 days ago
Exclusive | Mehreen Pirzada on first meeting with husband Arsh Aulakh: I went to say no but…Actor Mehreen Pirzada who married Arsh Aulakh on April 26, shares all about their first meeting, brother-actor Gurfateh's reaction, honeymoon plans and more Published on: May 05
1 days ago
Badruddin Ajmal's AIUDF has seen a dramatic decline in Assam. The party, once a major force for Muslim minorities, now holds only two Assembly seats. This electoral rout signifies a significant shift in the state's political landscape. Minority votes have largely moved to the Congress party
1 days ago
GSEB SSC Result 2026 Date, Time: Gujarat Board 10th results releasing tomorrowGSEB SSC Result 2026 has been announced. The Gujarat Board 10th results will be declared tomorrow at 8 am. Updated on: May 05, 2026 3:22 PM IST By HT Education Desk | Edited by Papri Chanda Share via Copy link Gujarat
1 days ago
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked members of his party and others to avoid “gloating” about the defeat of the Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal Assembly elections. “Put petty politics aside,” said the Opposition leader. “This is not about one party or another
1 days ago
For years, most of us have grown up believing that a cavity automatically means a trip to the dentist for a filling. The familiar drill-and-fill approach has long been considered the default solution. But modern dentistry is gradually moving away from this mindset. Today
1 days ago
An audio clip of an employee angrily confronting his manager has caught the attention of social media users, many of whom said they could relate to the frustration in his voice. The man is heard complaining about long working hours, workplace pressure and a promotion that allegedly came with
1 days ago
