- The CESSA (Centre of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics (CESSA)) at IIT Madras aims to be a global platform dedicated to advancing sports technology, delivering products and solutions to enhance athlete performance and promoting general fitness and health.
In order to foster innovation in sports technology, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) appointed Ramesh Kumar, former ESPN vice president as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Centre of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics (CESSA).
It aims to be a global platform dedicated to advancing sports technology, delivering products and solutions to enhance athlete performance and promoting general fitness and health, the centre would also create and deliver products and solutions across media platforms and work with sporting federations and bodies to increase fan engagement.
Ramesh Kumar, an alumnus of IIT Madras, brings over three decades of industry experience, including close to 24 years in the sports industry. He played a key role in driving digital leadership, innovation and growth for ESPNcricinfo. The Centre would also establish an incubator ecosystem for sport tech start-ups, supported by interdisciplinary faculties specialising in modelling, data science, IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence), wearables and biomechanics. Additionally, CESSA would also provide sports science and education courses, along with coaching products for students and coaches through collaborations leveraging IIT Madras’ credibility and expertise.
CESSA already initiated collaborations with leading institutes, including the Sports Authority of India, National Centre for Sports Science Research, Inspire Institute of Sports, Northwestern University, and the University of Birmingham. Supported by the ‘Institute of Eminence’ initiative of the Government of India, IIT Madras has been aiming to incubate 25 sports tech start-ups annually through CESSA. The Centre, housed in a state-of-the-art indoor sports facility, will serve as a test bed for piloting sports technology.
