Kerala Blasters avail substantial concession in stadium rent from GCDA following govt intervention

Kochi: With only a day remaining before Kerala Blasters’ first home fixture of the Indian Super League 2026/27 season, the standoff over the rent for the Kaloor International Stadium between the club and Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) was finally resolved here on Saturday. A ministerial-level decision was taken to significantly reduce the match-day fee and security deposit demanded by GCDA. An official government order in this regard was sent to the authority from the office of Local Self-Government Minister KM Shaji, fixing the revised fee at only ₹3.5 lakh from the formerly demanded ₹9.25 lakh. The security deposit of ₹1 crore demanded by the authority has also been slashed to ₹25 lakh for the season.

Kerala Blasters will play their first home fixture of the season against Mumbai City FC on Sunday. Ahead of the clash, the GCDA on Tuesday granted the club provisional clearance to set up broadcasting equipment at the venue. The authority noted that early clearance was granted in anticipation of the government directive, given that installing broadcast infrastructure requires considerable lead time.

The development follows a meeting between the Blasters management and the minister in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this week to plead for a rent reduction. Following their representation, the minister sought clarification from the GCDA regarding the fee structure. The decision to slash the rent was finalised after the GCDA submitted its formal response on Friday.

“Recognising the contributions of Kerala Blasters FC and the ISL toward the growth of football in the state and fostering a passion for sports among the youth; staying committed to the Government’s policy of advancing sports and sports-related infrastructure development; and taking into account the broader public interest in supporting Kerala Blasters, one of the state’s proudest sporting institutions, the Government hereby accords sanction for the allotment of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi for a security deposit of ₹25 lakh and a per-match fee of ₹3.5 lakh,” stated the order.

In the reply submitted by its secretary, the authority noted that the previous executive committee had fixed a rent of ₹9.25 lakh alongside a security deposit of ₹1 crore. The GCDA currently has neither an active executive committee nor a chairman. The letter also highlighted that the authority incurs substantial expenditure on stadium maintenance, pointing out that its rates remain modest compared to those charged by other major stadiums across the country.