Indian football’s top flight has its title sponsor back. JSW MG Motor India has signed on as title sponsor of the Indian Super League for 2026-27. The league will be called the MG Indian Super League when it kicks off on 10 October, ending a three-season wait for a naming partner.
The deal was announced in Hyderabad on 1 October. It gives the ISL a fresh commercial identity just nine days before the first ball is kicked, at the start of its first season under a new club-led model. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
A statement of intent
The title sponsorship is the clearest sign yet that the ISL’s reset has backing. From this season the league is run on a club-led model: the participating clubs hold the commercial rights, administrative control and oversight of key operations, while the AIFF continues to govern the sporting side. Landing a national brand before the opening round is exactly what that model needed.
The return of a title sponsor after three seasons is a significant milestone and a strong reflection of the belief and opportunity around Indian football. As a club-led league, we are entering a new chapter with a clear ambition to build a stronger, more commercially sustainable and fan-focused ISL.Karan Yadav
CEO, Indian Super League
Yadav added that the league and MG want the partnership to go “bigger than a brand association”, with more engagement and experiences for fans across the country.
Who is coming on board
MG is a 102-year-old British automotive brand. In India it is run by JSW MG Motor India, a joint venture between the JSW Group and China’s SAIC Motor. The company says it has sold more than 1.5 lakh electric vehicles since its first launch, making it India’s leading EV maker, with the MG Windsor the country’s best-selling EV.
The brand already has a football record. It is Liverpool FC’s Official Global Car Partner, has a multi-year partnership with Arsenal, and in India has backed the Patan Girls, a grassroots women’s football team from Gujarat, with infrastructure and community-development support. Beyond football, MG has partnered golfer Tvesa Malik, Paralympic medallist Bhavina Patel and Khel Ratna and Arjuna awardee Deepa Malik.
Football has been an important part of MG’s story in India … Our partnership with the Indian Super League is a natural progression of that journey, allowing us to take our engagement with football to a much larger national platform.Vinay Raina
Chief Commercial Officer, JSW MG Motor India
Back to a full season
The sponsorship lands alongside the news fans wanted most: a proper league. After last season’s truncated single-leg competition, which East Bengal won for their first ISL title, 2026-27 returns to a full home-and-away double round-robin, running from October to May 2027.
Thirteen clubs will compete:
- Bengaluru FC
- Chennaiyin FC
- Churchill Brothers FC
- East Bengal FC
- FC Goa
- Inter Kashi FC
- Kerala Blasters FC
- Mohun Bagan Super Giant
- Mumbai City FC
- NorthEast United FC
- Odisha FC
- Punjab FC
- Sporting Club Delhi
The line-up has changed over the summer. Jamshedpur FC withdrew in July, and their stake and ISL licence passed to Churchill Brothers, who return to the top flight. Diamond Harbour FC, champions of the Indian Football League, will not play after missing a participation-fee deadline.
For a league that carried Hero’s name from its launch in 2014 until 2022-23, the MG deal closes a three-season gap and opens a new commercial chapter.
Opening day: 10 October
The deal at a glance
- Sponsor: JSW MG Motor India (JSW Group and SAIC Motor joint venture)
- League name: MG Indian Super League, 2026-27 season
- Announced: 1 October 2026, Hyderabad
- Value: not disclosed
- Season: 13 clubs, full home-and-away, 10 October 2026 to May 2027