Hyderabad, 22^nd April, 2023.

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (“KMBL” / “Bank”) and its CSR associatePullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation, today announced the launch of “Kotak Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy”, a world-class badminton training Centre at Gachibowli, Telangana.The launch was attended by Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation's Pullela Gopichand, Founder Trustee and India's National Coach, L.V. Subrahmanyam, Trustee and Kotak Mahindra Bank's Shanti Ekambaram, Whole-Time Director and Jaimin Bhat, Group President and Group Chief Financial Officer.

The newly launched state-of-the-art badminton centre is part of KMBL's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Project on sports and has been developed with the shared vision of the Bank and Indian badminton legend, Pullela Gopichand– the founder trustee of Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation of bringing more laurels to India in the field of Badminton. The badminton training centre offersadvanced infrastructure and amenities, along with international-level coaches to provide top-notch training to aspiring and acclaimed athletes.

In 2019, Kotak Mahindra Bank announced its CSR Project in Sports in collaboration with Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation (Foundation) to develop a world class training facility for Indian badminton players. The launch of this new training facility is a significant milestone for both organisations, marking the beginning of their journey towards achieving their shared vision of developing exceptional athletes and coaches in the country.

Shanti Ekambaram, Whole-time Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank said, "Kotak Mahindra Bank and Pullela Gopichand share a common vision of nurturing world class badminton players from India and strengthening sports infrastructure and avenues for the future youth of the country. Our CSR efforts focus on making quality education, livelihood, environment and sports, available to all, regardless of their economic background. We are proud to associate with Pullela Gopichand and his foundation that is dedicated to support athletesand the growing passion for sports in the country.

Pullela Gopichand, Indian National Coach & Founder Trustee of Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation said, "The current badminton training facility has the legacy of producing global champions who have brought laurels for India in major championships from Olympics to Commonwealth games among several others.  Since its inception 15 years ago, the academy has become an aspirational facility for potential players from deeper pockets across the country. Further, to support the accelerated growth of sports in India, the new-Kotak Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academywill offeradvanced infrastructure and amenitiesand Coach development that will elevatebadminton training to international standards for our players. We are grateful for Kotak Mahindra Bank’s CSR funding support on this journey leading towards achieving excellence in sports."

Amenities offered at Kotak-Pullela Gopichand Badminton Training Facility in Hyderabad:

·         High-performance training centrecomprising six air-conditioned badminton courts

·         Sports Science Centre with top-quality resident nutritionists, physiotherapists, and strength and conditioning experts on board for the all-around development of players

·         Top-quality training and coaching facilities at par with global standards

·         Fellowship Programmes for economically backward coaches and players, within and outside the academy, who have the potential to make it big

·         Coach Certification Programme for yesteryear sportspersons to expand the reach of badminton training across India

The collaboration is a testament to the commitment of both organizations to contribute to the growth and development of Indian badminton.

Kotak Karma is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) identity of the Kotak Mahindra Group of companies.