Kia India Signs Three-Year Sponsorship Deal With Tennis Premier League

Kia India has announced a three-year exclusive sponsorship agreement with the Tennis Premier League (TPL), marking the company’s first major domestic sports partnership in India nearly 25 years after it began its global association with the Australian Open.

The announcement was made on May 19, 2026, as the carmaker expanded its sports marketing strategy into India’s growing tennis ecosystem, news agency ANI reported.

TPL is a franchise-based domestic tennis league operating under the auspices of the All India Tennis Association. Now in its eighth season, the tournament features eight city-based franchise teams alongside grassroots initiatives and a dedicated digital application.

The league is also associated with Indian tennis icons Leander Paes and Sania Mirza as brand ambassadors and is broadcast on JioHotstar.

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Beyond Brand Visibility:

As part of the partnership, Kia India will receive integration across the broader TPL ecosystem, including front-of-jersey sponsorship across all eight franchise teams and visibility within the league’s digital app.

Speaking about the association in an interview with afaqs!, Atul Sood said the collaboration was specifically designed around Indian market requirements rather than simply extending Kia’s global Australian Open sponsorship strategy.

“Not as such. This is definitely made for the requirements of the Indian market and our customers. There is an India flavour to it,” Sood said.

According to Sood, the company plans to adapt learnings from its Australian Open association in areas such as fan engagement and logistics while building a more locally relevant strategy around Indian audiences.

He added that the partnership serves both brand-building and business objectives.

“Sports is not just competition. It attaches itself to lifestyle, culture, community conversations,” Sood said.

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He noted that TPL is helping make tennis more accessible while still retaining its premium and affluent positioning, which aligns closely with Kia’s target consumer base.

While tennis in India has traditionally been viewed as an urban aspirational sport, Sood said the company believes the sport is increasingly expanding into semi-urban markets alongside India’s broader urbanisation trends.

Kia India also indicated that the partnership would go beyond simple brand visibility.

According to the company, one of the initiatives being introduced in India is the Australian Open Ball Kids programme, which will become part of the broader engagement strategy around TPL.

Sood added that the company is also working on additional locally relevant engagement formats inspired by its international tennis partnerships ahead of the upcoming tournament season.