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In sport and in life, strong foundations help potential grow over time. Physical literacy helps children build the base for lifelong learning and movement in Anganwadis and schools. Fundamental movement skills, which are the ABCs of sports, are integrated into education through age appropriate, play based, inclusive activities, establishing a mind, body and heart connection. The pedagogy creates a safe space for children to explore their own abilities and skills, teaching them to compete with self and strive to be a better version of themselves. Team games provide opportunities to leverage the strengths of team members and support their weakness. Barriers are broken, friendships are formed and leaders emerge organically. Children are given choices, forcing them to think creatively, reflect and make decisions thus developing physical, cognitive and affective skills.
Studies show that integrating movement and play into learning can improve focus, attendance and overall learning outcomes, yet organised physical activity often takes a back seat to academic priorities. Recognising that limited infrastructure and space are common barriers for schools, Tata Trusts have designed Physical Literacy curriculum to be simple, adaptable and low infrastructure, making it easier to integrate movement into everyday learning in Anganwadis and schools. This in-school foundation is complemented by grassroots sports programmes that help children continue their sporting journey and develop their potential.
As the children grow, they want to be challenged and structured community sports programmes gives provides them the opportunity to learn new skills, push their physical abilities and showcase their talent. Grassroots league tournaments expose them to the competitive world, teaching them how to face failures and success. Important life skill lessons are learnt on the field along with the sports skills. Healthy competition makes regular exercises a fun engagement, motivating the children to practice more and do better. Children from the rural and tribal areas, who have more physical and mental resilience, get a chance to develop their strengths and make a better future for themselves through sports.
Training is delivered by local players trained as coaches and technical partners, enabling children to engage with sport early while helping identify interest and ability over time. As many coaches come from the same communities, families trust them, making it easier for girls to participate while creating livelihood opportunities in sport.
We support the development of sustainable grassroots sports ecosystems that improve access and participation at the community level. This includes creating clear route for talent identification and progression into higher levels of training and competition.
Sport is also used as a tool for rehabilitation and inclusion for persons with disabilities, enabling regular participation and competitive framework through a hub-and-spoke model.
Through strategic grants to Kalike in Karnataka and Meghalaya, Tata Trusts support movement-based learning approaches that enhance early childhood growth in government Anganwadis. While in partnership with Quest in Amravati, it is also supporting the development of physical literacy frameworks that integrate movement and play into early learning environments, helping improve children’s cognitive, emotional, and motor skills.
Tata Trusts’ grassroots sports journey has evolved from community-based sports programmes to integrating Physical Literacy (PL) into early learning in government primary schools to build a strong foundation for sports training, representing two stages of grassroots sports development. o In Uttarakhand, grants to Himmotthan support guided physical activities in schools and a teacher training model for PL curriculum delivery.
The Meghalaya Baby League, launched by Tata Trusts, the Meghalaya Football Association (MFA), and AIFF in 2018, features 12 teams and provides competitive exposure to children aged 4–13. The initiative builds confidence and creates a foundational talent pool for progression into advanced football opportunities in adolescence.
Since 2018, Tata Trusts has established 40 community-owned badminton training centres across Mizoram, providing children aged 8–14 with quality coaching through trained local coaches. Developed in partnership with the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, the programme strengthens grassroots participation while creating local coaching capacity. "To know how Mizoram Grassroots Badminton Initiative is grooming India's next PV Sindhu and Sania Nehwal,
Tata Trusts promotes grassroots hockey training through school/community- based programmes that provide children in rural and tribal communities of Jharkhand and Odisha, having a culture of playing hockey, with regular access to structured hockey coaching and internal league tournaments. Across Jharkhand and Odisha, the programme operates around 85+ training centres, ensuring sustained participation at the village level. Talented players then progress into higher levels of structured development, including high-performance training at Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA).
Grassroots Kreedakul is Tata Trusts’ hub-and-spoke model for rural sports development. In partnership with Jnana Prabodhini Kreedakul (JPK), it operates through 4 hubs and 36 centres across Maharashtra, engaging over 1,000 children in movement, sports skills, and life skills training. The programme integrates Olympic life skills with Ayurvedic health interventions to build endurance and multi-sport capability across kho-kho, kabaddi, athletics, and volleyball.
