Tata Motors to be title sponsor of Maharashtra Open for fifth year in a row

NEW DELHI: Auto major Tata Motors has bolstered its commitment to tennis by extending its association with Maharashtra Open, better known as Tata Open Maharashtra, as the title sponsor for the fifth consecutive year.This is South Asia’s only ATP 250 tournament and will begin 31 December in Pune. The company said that its flagship SUV, the Tata Safari will be the official partner for the tennis tournament. Maharashtra Open is owned by IMG and managed by Reliance-backed RISE Worldwide and will be held at the Balewadi Stadium by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in association with the state government. It has brought big players like Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, Carlos Moya to India in the past. This year, 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic will headline the tournament which features 17 of the top 100 players. “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Tata Motors for the fifth year in a row now. This adds to the credibility, trust and partnership that we share with them as we celebrate the milestone fifth year of the tournament in Pune. We are grateful for their continued belief in us and support in the journey of this tournament which is set to witness some of the big stars in action from across the world, once again,” said Sanjay Khandare, treasurer of Tata Open Maharashtra, who is also an IAS officer. Rajan Amba, vice president, sales, marketing and customer service for Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., said, “We are delighted to announce our continued association. The Safari brand has always espoused its “Reclaim Your Life” philosophy and what better a way to do so, than sports.“ According to a report by CII & KPMG, the overall TV sports market was estimated at Rs. 7,050 crore in FY21, and the same is expected to reach Rs. 9,830 crore by FY26; growing at 7% CAGR. The overall revenues will grow from Rs. 9,530 crore in FY22 to Rs. 14,190 in FY26.