Anil Singh is the embodiment of the adage – Never Give Up!! In an inspiring TEDxPanchgani Talk, this brilliant entrepreneur recounted the tale behind the conception of the iconic Mumbai marathon. An avid sportsman himself, Anil enthralled the audience with the story of how he brought the marathon to India for the first time, in Mumbai, in 2004. Participative sports are in a whole different category – people can actually be a part of the event instead of being mere spectators. And every participant can be a winner!! Against all odds, Anil persevered until he put together all the requirements for the Marathon — which even included shutting down Mumbai for the duration!! This marathon has ushered in a silent revolution across the length and breadth of India – in 2017 over one million people took part in marathons across the country! Over Rs. 350 crores have been raised for more than 600 NGOs, and it has all come from the hearts of the participants. This is the magic of the movement, and the power of the people!

The iconic TATA Mumbai Marathon, the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, and many other sporting events have all been brought to India by Anil Singh, a national level athlete himself, who is the founder and Managing Director of Procam International. Procam has always striven to uplift the professional status of sports and sportsmen both – that is the goal envisaged by Anil. Starting with the launch of Asia’s Largest Marathon, the Standard Chartered Mumbai International Marathon, in 2004, (which has, in a short span of seven years, evolved into one of the top ten marathons of the world,) Anil has led Procam, India’s leading sports and leisure management company, to build a proud legacy of sporting assets of an international scale and pedigree. He is an authority when it comes to the business of brand sponsorships in sports. The last 28 years have seen Procam forging successful partnerships with over 200 Indian and multinational brands. The social impact of Procam’s sporting endeavors is unrivalled. The distance running events have helped over 700 non-profits raise over Rs 350 crores (55 million USD), making it India’s largest platform for charity.

This talk was given at TEDxPanchgani an event held at Ravine Hotel using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx