Centre Court Capital on Thursday introduced the launch of a Rs 350-crore fund for India’s sports activities and gaming panorama. The fund, based by JSW Sports former CEO Mustafa Ghouse and Alok Samtaney who was a former funding director with TVS Capital and Sabre Partners, has the Sajjan Jindal Family Trust as anchor investor, with Parth Jindal on the helm.

“The first-of-its-kind, sector-focused VC fund has already raised Rs 200 crore in commitments from eminent traders and prime athletes,” according to a statement.

It said the fund will back founders bringing innovative tech and pushing the boundaries of the sports and gaming ecosystem.

“Joining the Jindal family – who have played a big role in shaping India’s sporting ecosystem over the last decade – are the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), PremjiInvest, USK Capital, and other large corporate sports investors in the country such as GMR Sports, and SG Sports,” the assertion mentioned.

Other notable figures from the world of sports activities and media have additionally joined.

Mustafa Ghouse, founder and basic companion of Centre Court Capital, mentioned, “We are seeing an acceleration within the variety of startups which might be constructing from India for India and the world. Adding to that, with 396 million players, we’re the second largest inhabitants of players on the earth and the gaming sector is poised to develop at a 5-year CAGR of 21 per cent. We firmly consider within the potential of the area, and are focussed on backing distinctive founders who consider they’re now able to compete with one of the best in school, globally.”

Ghouse, also a former Asian Games Bronze medalist and member of the Indian Davis Cup team, brings with him the operating experience of having put together Inspire Institute of Sport, India’s premier Olympic training facility, aside from leading the acquisition and heading teams across the IPL, ISL, and PKL, according to the statement.

Alok, meanwhile, brings deep experience across the fund lifecycle having spent over 15 years between TVS Capital Funds and Sabre Partners.

Parth Jindal, MD of JSW Cement and JSW Paints, and founder of JSW Sports, said, “Over the last decade, we have backed, invested and developed sports in India in a big way, and our commitment stems from our belief in the potential of sports in India. We’ve also been tracking the growth of the eSports and gaming sectors and we’re excited to see the champions from India emerge. We are proud to be early backers of Centre Court Capital’s pioneering fund, which will further drive growth and innovation in what is an ever-evolving sector.”

Centre Court Capital is a SEBI-registered Category-II AIF, and is quickly launching an offshore feeder fund in GIFT City, to lift capital from worldwide traders. The fund has already accomplished its first two investments within the sports activities tech area. It will look to deal with early-stage alternatives, earmarking Rs 8 to Rs 24 crore, whereas reserving 40-50 per cent of the fund for follow-on investments.