The Indian Olympic contingent will be sponsored by Reliance Jio, the digital services arm of Reliance Industries Ltd., "which has won the rights to be the ‘Principal Partner’ at the quadrennial extravaganza," according to the PTI. It is "another key milestone in the company's endeavour to empower and support national sporting talents." RIL has a long history of association with sports in India, "promoting and developing various disciplines over the last three decades" (PTI, 7/17). ANI reported Herbalife Int'l India announced its partnership with the Indian Olympic Assciation (IOA) "to be the official nutrition sponsor of the Indian Olympic Contingent" to Rio de Janeiro. The sponsorship of the Indian Olympic contingent "comes close on the heels of similar such associations" from Herbalife, Vietnam and Herbalife, Israel which are the official nutrition sponsors of their respective Olympic teams. Beginning with the Rio Olympics, Herbalife is "mulling a long term partnership with Indian Olympic Association in an effort to identify sports federations for development of sports and its athletes, to begin with" (ANI, 7/17).
