Where Badminton Became A Path To Livelihood In Mizoram

When the Tata Trusts launched the MBI in 2018, in partnership with the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA), the Mizoram Badminton Association, and associate organisation North East Initiative Development Agency (NEIDA), the ambition was to build something far more enduring: a self-sustaining ecosystem rooted in community, capable of creating excellence, opportunity and aspiration for generations to come. Eight years on, that vision is becoming a reality.

Mizoram has always loved badminton. Courts fill up before dawn, parents ferry children across town for practice slots, and the sound of shuttlecocks is part of the everyday fabric of life in Aizawl. But love for the game, without structure, rarely translates into sustained performance at the national level. What was missing was a pathway from local courts to national podiums, from childhood passion to professional possibility.

The MBI was designed to create exactly that. It introduced structured training, experienced coaching, financial support covering all player expenses, and access to world-class facilities at the PGBA's residential academy in Hyderabad, giving young players from Mizoram the conditions needed to compete on a level playing field. 

It has also established 25 community-owned badminton centres across Mizoram, operating on a pay-and-play model that ensures both access and longterm sustainability. These foundations have helped link local courts to a wider sporting structure. Young coaches are emerging, community engagement has deepened, and badminton is gradually beginning to generate livelihoods, opening pathways in coaching, administration, and allied roles that did not exist earlier. Just as importantly, there is a visible cultural shift, with growing belief among young people that sport can be a viable vocation and increasing confidence among families to support that choice.