Hindustan Zinc Ltd., in collaboration with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has officially opened India’s first technology driven, residential football academy for girls in Zawar, 20 kms from Udaipur, Rajasthan.
Taking Football to the grassroots
The Zinc Football Girls Academy, which has constructded world class facilities has developed training and scouting infrastructure and coaching protocols mentored by AIFF. The academy has enrolled the first batch of 20 girls under 15 age with participants from five states: Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal, Haryana, and Jharkhand. It is estimated that over the next 12 to 18 months, intake will increase to 60 trainees, supporting grassroots women’s football growth in the area.
A key feature of the academy is the incorporation of F Cube technology, a proprietary data driven training system which assesses players on technical, physical and cognitive aspects on an ongoing basis. The facility will include FIFA quality turf, licensed coaches, residential accommodation, education, nutrition, and player development.
Hindustan Zinc 🤝 AIFF
Read more about the partnership 🔗 https://t.co/ZtYBLdXuaG#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/r48jFRPPP9
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 31, 2025
“It is about young and confident leaders”
Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson Hindustan Zinc described the academy as containing “passion for sport, passion for social change” , commenting “This isn’t only about the next wave of playing footballers, it’s about developing confident and resilient young leaders.” This announcement also comes timely. AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey reported a 232% increase in women’s registrations on the AIFF portal last week, and India has already qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026.
The academy is situated under the existing Zinc Football Academy umbrella, which has been operational since 2017, supported by Vedanta for, community work, has been AIFF 3 star accredited, and has had legitimate youth success at various levels in state and national tournaments. Its U17 squads have gone through the AIFF Elite Youth League unbeaten and more recently won the state championships.
The Zinc Football Girls Academy also exemplifies the potential for, an upliftment platform to marry grassroots inclusion and impact, CSR, and sports tech innovation in a meaningful manner. The initiative represents a bold step to nurture the next generations of women footballers in India, and potential future stars for the national team, combining high performance sport with access, inclusivity, and empowerment.
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