Satadru Dutta

Some Lesser Known Facts About Satadru Dutta

• Satadru Dutta was born and brought up in Rishra, a town in West Bengal, which is known for its footballing heritage.

• Dutta has been keenly interested in sports since his childhood.

• After completing his MBA, he began his professional career in the early 2000s, working in corporate firms such as L&FS (Investmart/IL&FS Securities) and HSBC.

• In 2011, Satadru left his corporate job to pursue his passion for sports and founded A Satadru Dutta Initiative (ASDA). This organisation focuses on bringing world-class sports icons and international events to India, blending entertainment with inspiration. The organisation also works in sports marketing, celebrity management, and social causes, showcasing how global athletes can play a role in uplifting communities and promoting the spirit of the game.

•  Satadru and his firm came into the limelight in 2015, when he bought legendary footballer Pelé to Kolkata. This marked Pelé’s return to the city for the first time since the 1970s.

• In 2017, Satadru Dutta organised Argentina’s football player Diego Maradona‘s second visit to Kolkata.

• Over the year, Dutta has organised events that have been associated with bringing international football stars such as Ronaldinho, Cafu, and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to India.

• Satadru Dutta also shares a close relationship with Sourav Ganguly. He considers him his inspiration and admires his mission to make Kolkata and India a hub for international cricket and football culture.

  

• In December 2025, Satadru was the lone organizer and promoter of Lionel Messi‘s ‘GOAT India Tour 2025’. Lionel Messi has returned to India after 14 years.

  

• On 13 December 2025, during his first day of visit, he arrived at the Salt Lake Stadium. Fans who had paid between Rs 5,000 – Rs 18,000 for tickets were unable to see Messi due to the politician and VIP crowding the event.

• Due to poor crowd control and management issues at the stadium, chaos broke out outside and inside the venue. The program was also cut short, which led to anger and disappointment in the fans.

• Police had also struggled to control the crowd as chairs were ripped out and thrown. Significant damage was reported at the stadium, which had earlier been renovated for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2017.

• After the incident, Dutta was arrested at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, where Dutta had accompanied Messi and his Inter Miami teammates to Hyderabad, their next destination of GOAT India Tour 2025.

• During the investigation, he initially denied taking responsibility for all the chaos that happened at the stadium; however, he later offered to refund nearly 60,000 spectators.

• Dutta insisted to the police that he needed to travel with the footballer for the rest of the tour; however, the police denied and said he was not allowed to leave the city. Messi and the rest of the team flew out of Kolkata without Satadru Datta.

• Later that day, at a press briefing in Kolkata, Additional Director General (law and order) Jawed Shamim said that the processes and investigation are still going on.

• As of 15 December 2025, Satadru Dutta’s bail was denied, and he was sent to 14 days’ police custody.