Major League Baseball (MLB) today announced a partnership with RISE Worldwide Limited (“RISE”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of reliance industries , to support the growth of baseball in India. The collaboration will span marketing, social media, and commercial initiatives, culminating in the joint delivery of a live event in Mumbai in October 2026. This partnership marks a significant step in MLB’s international expansion strategy and reinforces India’s growing importance as a key sports market.

Since opening its offices in New Delhi in 2019, MLB has been actively developing the game in India through grassroots programs like MLB First Pitch in schools and youth competitions such as the MLB Cup. The league has also introduced India-focused original content, including Indian Baseball Dreams, to create greater awareness and engagement around the sport.

Strategic Collaboration

The partnership aims to introduce the excitement of baseball to wider audiences while strengthening cultural connections through sport. Noah Garden, Deputy Commissioner, Business & Media at MLB, described the collaboration as a key milestone in the league’s international growth strategy. He emphasized that working with RISE will allow MLB to reach new demographics.

Nikhil Bardia, Head of RISE Worldwide, highlighted that India is one of the most dynamic sports markets globally. He stated that baseball’s global rise makes this a natural moment to bring the sport closer to Indian fans. RISE Worldwide plans to create experiences, both on the ground and digitally, to make baseball accessible and exciting.

About the Companies

RISE’s experience in sports and media provides unique opportunities to enable more fans across India to sample baseball. Together, MLB and RISE will deliver engaging experiences, including the local Mumbai event and grassroots initiatives. This partnership follows the thrilling World Baseball Classic in March, as MLB seeks to further globalize the game in India.

Reliance Industries recorded a block trade on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), with the transaction valued at ₹22.09 crores. The deal involved approximately 164,245 shares, executed at a price of ₹1345.00 per share. Block trades of this magnitude are generally associated with institutional activity and tend to attract attention from market observers.

Block Trade Details

The key parameters of the block trade are summarised below:

Market Significance

Block trades are large, privately negotiated transactions executed outside the open market order book, typically involving institutional investors such as mutual funds, foreign portfolio investors, or other large financial entities. Such trades are disclosed publicly and are monitored by market participants as they may reflect significant portfolio activity in a major listed company. Reliance Industries, being one of India's largest listed conglomerates, regularly features in institutional trading activity on domestic exchanges.