MUMBAI: The fitness industry in India has seen an uptake in the last few years. The advent of technology has been one of the crucial factors that led to consumers taking a greater interest in fitness. For enthusiasts, there is a new league to follow – the Indian Fitness League (IFL), which will be broadcast on DSport.
The brain behind this league is Tarun Gill, once an investment banker but followed his passion and became a fitness enthusiast, expert and influencer. The league is self-funded by Gill, which will be on air from the first week of September with a total of six episodes on Saturdays at primetime slots. There will be 40 players divided into eight teams of five players each. The league is in a reality show format which is pre-recorded and will be aired on DSport for six weeks. “It is a platform for the masses to showcase their fitness talent on Indian television,” Gill said.
The man is on a mission and wants to change the perception of people who relate fitness to bodybuilding. “Actually it’s not; fitness has a lot to do with being healthy and fit. Everybody is so obsessed with aesthetics, six packs, and big muscles,” he added.
The demand for fitness products and services has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade. In this evolution, a vital role is played by fitness enthusiast and influencers who want to change the living style of the masses.
Praxis Global Alliance, a global business research and solutions firm, along with its thought partner YourNest, released a global report earlier this year on the emerging sports, fitness and wellness (SFW) market in India. The report highlighted the potential of SFW market to grow from $35 billion in 2016 to $90 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 17 per cent in India. However, a fact worth noting is that a major portion of these revenues will be driven by the consumption of fitness wearables.
People in India have started thinking about a healthy lifestyle and are moving towards health, well-being, good looks and confidence. Resistance training, aerobics, Zumba, aerial yoga, Pilates, MMA, kickboxing etc are the current trends.
The show is produced by Glint Entertainment, which launched in the year 2005 with a group of three people - Sunil Dhankar, Tinu Sharma and Amit Bhardwaj.
The selection process was conducted in 10 different cities Mumbai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Kurukshetra, Jaipur, Chandigarh and others. The test included a fitness test with many activities and after that an interview round which was conducted by Gill himself.
The league is sponsored by Gaurs Developers, a real estate company in Delhi. It is powered by another developer company called Investors Clinic and the supplement partner is Yoga Bars.
According to the 2017 Deloitte India report, the fitness industry is worth more than $1.1 billion.
Gill pointed out that, “Fitness is not just about how many gyms you can open up, supplements and protein powders you can sell. It also has a lot to do with eyeballs, which means, how many people actually want to see something on fitness. A market opens up as people’s acceptance to it. Season 2 is in the planning stage and the dates are not yet locked, but it will happen for sure,” he concluded.
With the first season rolling out in the first week of September, the ratings will show how it contributes to changing the mentality of the masses.
