Britannia joins hands with JSW to promote ‘HerSpark’, a sports scholarship for women

Bengaluru: Britannia Marie Gold, one of India’s leading biscuit brands, in partnership with the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), has launched ‘HerSpark,’ a first-of-its-kind national sports scholarship programme for women athletes.

It is designed to identify and nurture promising women athletes in boxing, swimming, judo, athletics, and parasports to kickstart their sports career.

The initiative offers aspiring young women athletes across India a fully funded three-year sports scholarship, covering professional training, coaching, lodging, nutrition, and educational opportunities.

The programme also offers world-class facilities and coaching from former Continental and Olympic athletes such as Mamuka Kizilashvili (Judo) and Yoandris Betanzos Francis (athletics).

Female athletes across India can apply for the HerSpark scholarship by visiting the official HerSpark website to fill out the application form.

The scholarship is open to female athletes aged 14 and above residing in India. Minors (under 18) must obtain parental or guardian consent to participate.

The selection process will take place in multiple stages. After the initial application screening, over 1,000 shortlisted athletes will be invited to Round 1 selection trials at IIS centers across India.

Those who qualify will progress to two-day regional selection camps held across eight locations in India. Based on their performance, the shortlisted athletes will then attend an exclusive three-week elite training camp at IIS Vijayanagar for further evaluation.

Those who emerge as top achievers will receive a fully funded three-year sports scholarship, providing them with the best preparation to compete at national and international levels.

Siddharth Gupta, General Manager, Marketing, Britannia Industries, stated, “Britannia Marie Gold believes that every woman possesses an innate spark — the potential to achieve more. Committed to empowering women, we have supported their journeys toward financial independence through initiatives like HerStartup and HerStore. With HerSpark, we extend this commitment to the world of sports, providing young female athletes with the opportunity, training, and mentorship they need to reach their highest potential. We are happy to partner with Inspire Institute of Sport to support and nurture aspiring women athletes, breaking barriers and ensuring access to world-class coaching”.  

Founded by the JSW Group, the Inspire Institute of Sport is a privately-funded Olympic Sport Programme, headquartered in Vijayanagar, with its High Performance Centre, along with satellite centres located across Manipur, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha.

Manisha Malhotra, President, Inspire Institute of Sport, said, “We at the IIS are very excited to join hands with Britannia Marie Gold, to empower women. Through this partnership, we are launching a nationwide scouting programme to identify young female athletes and equip them with the skills and guidance needed to succeed on the biggest stage. Shortlisted athletes would receive a three-year, fully funded scholarship program at IIS’ world-class facilities — with access to some of the world’s best coaches”.