The Indian market hasn't matured yet, but commercial and enterprise value will multiply in the long run, says the COO of the group that owns Manchester City
In 2019, Mumbai City FC joined a global network of football clubs as England’s City Football Group (CFG’s) acquired a majority stake in it. The Indian Super League (ISL) outfit, co-owned by Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, is now a part of a portfolio of 13 teams, headlined by Manchester City, the holders of the historic Continental treble (the Premier League, FA Cup and the Champions League). CFG’s COO Roel de Vries was recently in Mumbai to unveil the new crest of the club representing the city’s key motifs—the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the local train and the coastline. The former Nissan executive, who joined CFG just months after its investment in Mumbai City, sat down for an exclusive chat with Forbes India. Edited excerpts: