In line with India’s vision to become a global AI hub, Professor Vishal Misra, Vice-Dean of Computing and AI, Department of Engineering at Columbia University and an expert advisor to the FIFS Sports Data Gameathon, launched a white paper titled "Fantasy Sports as a Catalyst for India's AI Revolution in Sports" at WAVES 2025 (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit).

The white paper is based on insights from FIFS Sports Data Gameathon, a national-level sports AI challenge launched in partnership with Google Cloud and Dream11. The challenge invited India’s top engineering and technology institutes to leverage data to develop AI/ML models based on real-world sports applications and compete in daily fantasy sports format.

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The whitepaper highlights the need for making sports a focus sector for the IndiaAI Mission, role of fantasy sports as a vehicle for democratising AI development, and leveraging initiatives like Gameathon to build indigenous AI solutions for sports & beyond. Fantasy sports has the advantage of widespread adoption and based on its data driven approach, offers a unique opportunity to engage India’s vast pool of technical talent. It will also help in integrating sports analytics with grassroot innovation.

Commenting on the launch, Prof. Vishal Misra said: “Fantasy sports is more than entertainment — they are a powerful, accessible platform for advancing AI in India. By turning sports into a data science playground, we can nurture the next generation of AI talent while unlocking real-world applications in athlete performance, fan engagement, and strategic decision-making. The FIFS Sports Data Gameathon not only supported IndiaAI’s application development and FutureSkills goals but also showed how fantasy platforms can fuel AI-driven innovation beyond elite teams, making sophisticated analytics tools accessible at scale.”