India’s F1 push: Sports Ministry grants NSF status to motor-sport body FMSCI
The Sports Ministry has provisionally granted the status of National Sports Federation (NSF) to the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), a significant upgrade for the body that is coordinating with the government to bring Formula 1 back to the country.
The FMSCI had applied for recognition on June 11 this year and the approval of its request means that it would now be eligible for financial grants from the ministry. “...the request of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) for provisional recognition as National Sports Federation (NSF) has been considered and it has been decided to grant provisional recognition to FMSCI as an NSF with effect from the date of issue of this letter,” the Ministry order dated July 23 stated.
FMSCI has been in regular talks with the ministry on not just the issue of recognition but to also chart the way forward for F1’s India comeback.
The Ministry has asked FMSCI, which is based in Chennai and headed by Arindam Ghosh, to amend its constitution/Memorandum of Association (MoA) to conform with the provisions of the National Sports Governance Act and the rules framed in it within stipulated time-lines.
To grant recognition to the body which came into existence in 1971, the government has relaxed some norms related to the minimum state units affiliation required for NSF status.
The Ministry also stated that it will revoke the recognition if the body fails to comply with its guidelines on financial probity, anti-doping measures, governance structure or if it indulges in misrepresentation of facts.
Last month, Sports Minister Manuskh Mandaviya had announced that a Task Force would be instituted “as soon as possible” to assess the challenges and benefits of hosting major motorsport events here.
The Task Force will evaluate the economic, tourism, and investment benefits arising from hosting major motorsport events in India and also identify key priorities, infrastructure requirements, and operational needs for the sustainable development of the sector.
The Task Force will have representation from FMSCI, Sports Ministry, the state government (in this case Uttar Pradesh as Buddh International Circuit is in Greater Noida), and the facility owners.
The minister is pushing to have a Formula 1 race in India by 2028.
India hosted Formula 1 from 2011 to 2013 before the race was dropped from the calendar due to taxation and financial reasons.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has acknowledged the huge interest in India but had refrained from giving a timeline for its return, saying it would take the right investment and people for the plan to work out.
As per an F1 statement in December last year, the fanbase in India for the sport stood at 79 million. In less than six months, that number has grown to 98 million.
