The Indian Super League is all set to expand to 10 teams from the forthcoming season with bids for new teams from the Tata Steel group and the Jindal Steel Works Group having been accepted by Football Sports Development Limited, the entity that runs the tournament.

The inclusion of two new clubs came through the ‘Invitation To Bid’ tender process floated by FSDL last month. An independent panel along with consulting firm Ernst & Young evaluated the bids to present its report today to the panel, in the presence of All India Football Federation General Secretary Mr Kushal Das.

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While Tata Steel’s winning bid came from Jamshedpur, JSW’s bid came from Bengaluru, the same city in which the reigning Federation Cup champions, Bengaluru FC, also owned by the JSW Group, are located.

“We’re glad that our bid to be part of the ISL has been okayed. A lot of time and thought has gone into our decision of wanting to be part of the league. The biggest factor has been the interest of the long-term future of Indian football. A longer league is the right road ahead,” said BFC CEO Parth Jindal following the announcement.

“Being part of the ISL will improve our commercial viability that then lets us do a lot more with our youth academy. We are excited to create new rivalries and keep old ones going should the new format allow us to come up against each other. A key aspect is we still get to chase our quest for the AFC Cup,” he added.

Sunil Bhaskaran, Chairman of Tata Football Academy, said: “This is a momentous occasion for Tata Steel, which has always been a pioneer in the development of sports in the country, especially football. Our entry into the coveted Indian Super League reinforces our commitment to provide a fillip to the development of football in the country. We are extremely excited to have won the bid for our hometown Jamshedpur and will provide the best of facilities for football to prosper in the eastern part of our country”.