India Seeks to Reclaim Its Lost Treasures

About 15 clubs will open in India over the next two years.

Context is key: everything that emerges and is undertaken in India operates on a massive scale. Metrics are counted in millions. Everything is amplified. It is within this context that the polo industry expands, assuming corresponding dimensions. Here, PoloBiz presents four cases of cities implementing diverse plans to quench the nation's burgeoning thirst for polo.

CHENNAI

Polo in India is experiencing a golden moment. With Europe declining as a player market and the United States maintaining its average level but with a high-handicap polo scene far from recovering its past glory, India is witnessing a polo revival.

Sponsors, tournaments, exhibitions, new polo schools, university programmes, and horse imports from South Africa, Australia, and Argentina are positioning India as the most prominent emerging economy in polo. All this is happening in India because, in terms of sheer volume, the planet's second-most populous country is a world unto itself. Beyond the classic clubs of Jodhpur and Jaipur, which report record entries for their tournaments, polo in India has other destinations fighting to reclaim past glories.

Indian polo, with strong communities in military and official circles and links to past dynasties, maintains a centuries-old heritage that has been erased from some emblematic locations.

Such is the case with Chennai, a city in the country's south and capital of Tamil Nadu. With a population of 7.1 million and approximately 11.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is India's fourth most populous city after Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.

The potential is vast. However, polo enthusiasts in Chennai will have to hold their horses. The eagerly awaited Chennai season, scheduled by the Indian Polo Association for January 2026—which would have brought the royal sport back to the city after 28 long years—has been cancelled due to an equine infection. This is disappointing news for a city in the midst of a polo resurgence.

In the 1960s and 70s, polo was common in Chennai but gradually vanished. As polo commitments waned, grounds were repurposed, and the sport disappeared. As Irshaad Mecca, a polo enthusiast and passionate rider instrumental in rebuilding the sport in Chennai, states: "The absence of grounds effectively erased Chennai from the polo map." Without infrastructure, a sport cannot thrive, regardless of local interest.

The Resurgence

Industrialist and billionaire A.C. Muthiah, a patron of the sport, and Mecca joined forces to get things moving—assembling horse strings, workers, and all necessary elements to establish a club in the city. Progress continued at a trot, with the Army granting approval for a ground near the city's military hospital. The city's first official polo match in nearly three decades was to be held here. Everything has been postponed until at least mid-year.

Integrating Chennai into the IPA calendar is crucial because India's polo ecosystem remains concentrated and repetitive in the same destinations: Jaipur, Delhi, and Jodhpur. Players, teams, and sponsors are calling for more venues to continue playing and expanding the polo business.

This restricted circuit limits audience growth, sponsorship diversity, and player recruitment. Expanding to Chennai and other southern centres would infuse new life into the game.

In India, as Junaid Nahri, a senior corporate executive and passionate polo player, explains, cities where polo is popular depend on grounds controlled by the Army. Civilian grounds are scarce due to land and maintenance costs. Youth participation is also limited by a shortage of riding schools with dedicated polo divisions. A positive development for the sport's expansion is India's thoroughbred pipeline. Race clubs in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru sell retired racehorses suitable for retraining. Players often acquire three such horses, invest 4 to 8 months in training, and turn them into competent polo ponies.

The Economics of Polo

In Chennai, most horses are purchased between 4 and 6 years old, predominantly from race clubs, making them off-the-track thoroughbreds. In India, prices vary by city: US$ 420–

US$ 480 in Mumbai, US$ 840 in Bengaluru, and over US$ 1,200 in Delhi. Higher-quality horses, including imports from Argentina and Uruguay, command significantly higher prices. Yet demand is growing.

Maintaining one horse in a metropolitan city costs approximately US$ 300–US$ 360 monthly, covering grooms, feed, supplements, farrier fees, veterinary care, and stabling. A setup of four horses costs nearly US$ 1,200 per month. Saddles, girths, boots, and other tack add further recurring costs. Mallets, typically imported, cost about US$ 180 each, while polo balls cost around US$ 5 each, with multiple balls used per match. Most accessories come from Pakistan.

Each game demands horse transport, stabling, and staff. Horses are often transported across India, costing US$ 360–US$ 480 for local moves or significantly more when teams travel between states.

MANIPUR

A highlight of President Droupadi Murmu's two-day visit to Manipur was her attendance at a Sagol Kangjei (traditional polo) exhibition at the historic Mapal Kangjeibung, widely considered the world's oldest polo ground.

Manipur is a state in northeastern India. Its capital is Imphal, and it has a population of over 1.4 million.

Much like Javier Milei, President of Argentina, at the Argentine Open in Palermo—a regular attendee supporting his personal friend, Adolfo Cambiaso—India's president underscored polo's economic importance and highlighted Manipur's long-standing claim as the cradle of modern polo. Senior state officials joined the president at the event.

Murmu arrived on an Indian Air Force plane specifically for the event, part of the 15th Manipur International Polo Tournament. Inaugurating the event, Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel stated that a detailed project report is being prepared with the Ministry of DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) to boost the sport's popularity.

He added that the state continues to fulfil its responsibility of keeping the spirit of the sport alive. "By organising this event, we reaffirm our collective commitment to nurture this heritage and ensure the world remembers the oldest and most energetic form of polo," he said, adding that the tournament serves as a powerful platform to preserve the Manipuri pony and strengthen global sporting ties.

The city's premier tournament, spanning seven days, was inaugurated with grandeur at Imphal's iconic Mapal Kangjeibung, the world's oldest active polo ground, reaffirming the state's deep bond with the sport it gave to the world.

Organised by the Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association (MHRPA), the tournament brings together teams and enthusiasts from across continents to celebrate polo in its birthplace.

In Manipur, the local government has invested millions and governmental effort to revive and expand polo in the state, including infrastructure upgrades, collaborations with international coaches, and co-hosting global tournaments with the Tourism Department and the DoNER.

"We are formulating a roadmap to popularise the game and enhance our infrastructure to host more international tournaments. Work on a detailed project report with the DoNER Ministry is underway," he said.

Vision

Under DoNER, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, a high-level review meeting on Manipur's development roadmap was held, where a highlight was the resurgence of Manipur Polo, a sport deeply rooted in the state's history. Scindia announced plans to re-establish Manipur as India's Polo Capital by developing world-class training facilities, coaching institutions, and international-standard infrastructure.

The meeting outlined new initiatives to align the state's progress with the national vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The initiative aims to blend heritage with opportunity: promoting sport-linked tourism, creating jobs for local youth, and projecting Manipur's cultural identity on the global stage. "Manipur's legacy as the cradle of modern polo will be leveraged to build a new economic and cultural narrative," Scindia said.

GUJARAT

The Ahmedabad Polo Tournament launches to revive one of India's heritage sports. Three days of pure polo have marked the beginning of the sport and Gujarat's biggest push yet to revive polo, one of India's oldest heritage sports, at a time when Ahmedabad is positioning itself as a future multi-sport hub—with polo set to be a key protagonist.

Gujarat is a state on India's west coast, with an estimated population of over 70 million, bordering Pakistan.

Led by Indian billionaire patron Naveen Jindal, the Gujarat Polo Club has organised the largest polo event ever held in Gujarat, both in scale and presentation.

The tournament is organised in a franchise format, similar to other Indian sports that have seen a resurgence through league-based models.

Organisers see the event as a timely intervention, especially with Ahmedabad—the largest city in Gujarat state—aspiring to rise to the sporting occasion ahead of the potential 2030 Commonwealth Games, where equestrian disciplines like polo are expected to feature.

By bringing polo into the mainstream sporting conversation, they believe it is essential to reclaim its legitimate place in India's sports ecosystem.

Polo is India's Heritage

Before competing in the inaugural match, Lok Sabha MP and Mr. Jindal spoke about polo's deep roots in India. It is noteworthy that the sport originated in Manipur, where it was played as Sagol Kangjei as early as the 14th century before being formalised during the British era.

Gujarat Polo Club promoter Arpan Gupta said the tournament aims to present polo in Gujarat "in a way never experienced before."Over 30 players are participating, with at least 25 having competed internationally.

HYDERABAD

A growing number of people are embracing the world of horses in Hyderabad, which is seeing a proliferation of riding and polo clubs.

Hyderabad is a major city in south India, capital of Telangana, with a metropolitan population exceeding 9 million. The city is now home to some of the finest clubs encouraging people from all walks of life to take up horse riding.

Growth is so exponential that experts claim Hyderabad is rapidly catching up with Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur, Bhopal, and Delhi as centres of equestrian activity in the country.

But the riding craze here is not new. Polo has a rich history in Hyderabad, dating back to the 19th century when the Nizams introduced the game. The first polo club in Hyderabad was established in 1884, and the city soon became a hub for polo enthusiasts. The Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club, founded in 1918, is one of India's oldest polo clubs and has hosted several national and international tournaments. The Nizam's son, Prince Azam Jah, an accomplished polo player, further popularised the game.

"Hyderabad was a major centre for polo in India. Over the years, its popularity waned. However, with many clubs and the riding craze growing, we can see a quiet resurgence," says Raj Sivaraju, partner at Rancho De Caballos, which houses about 50 horses of different breeds. It is estimated that more than 25 horses from Argentina and Uruguay will arrive this month.

Exclusive clubs like the Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club and Nasr Polo are preferred by the crème de la crème of society, but establishments like Royal Caballo Club, Rancho De Caballos, Hyderabad Horse Riding School, and Champions Horse Riding Club have opened their doors to anyone interested in joining the equestrian community.