From Courts to Campuses: IPA President Lays Out India’s Three-Pillar Plan to Build Pickleball from the Ground Up

The growth of pickleball in India has truly been remarkable. But for Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) president Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, there is more room to grow—especially with the country’s youth starting to rally behind the fast-rising sport.

“Standardising coaching quality and securing long-term, high-value corporate sponsorship are our biggest challenges,” Bhullar told Times Now. “The opportunities lie in the tremendous enthusiasm from the youth, [and] the sport’s multi-generational appeal which our three World Cup teams validate, and the launch of the Indian Pickleball League (IPBL).”

The IPA recognises the youth’s starring role in growing pickleball in India and already has a plan to tap into this increasing interest. This plan, according to Bhullar, consists of three pillars.

“We have three pillars. First, our ‘Train the Trainer’ programmes to certify quality coaches. Second, maintaining the PWR ranking pathway for clear progression. Third, mass adoption through school and university outreach,” he explained.

Along with these three pillars is the need to keep the sport as open as possible to emphasise its low barrier to entry and the fact that it is truly for anyone, of any age. In fact, Bhullar himself is a pickleball player, recently teaming up with former tennis star Nitten Kirtane to strengthen his Seniors 50+ team.

He emphasised that the IPA can make pickleball open to all “by ensuring accessibility and affordability” while also keeping in mind the need to “prioritise grassroots events, maintain low barriers to entry, and highlight the unique multi-generational structure of the sport where a Seniors team player like me and a talented Junior can share the national platform.”

Soon, some of India’s very best players will step beyond the country’s borders and onto the international stage—the Pickleball World Cup 2025, to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. India will be sending three delegations to this prestigious tournament, and Bhullar and the IPA are hoping these teams can “achieve a winning record in the group stage across all three categories,” “earn the respect of the international pickleball community,” and “create a national buzz that directly fuels new player registrations back home.”

“We want future players to look back and see this team as the exact moment when the competitive culture of Indian pickleball formally began, setting the high bar for skill and professionalism,” Bhullar said of India’s delegation to the Pickleball World Cup 2025.

Team India will undoubtedly face stiff competition in Florida. But win or lose, India’s pickleball culture is already thriving—and with Bhullar’s grassroots-driven blueprint, it looks set to become even stronger in the months and years ahead.