If you mean India’s national football governing body, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), its president is Kalyan Chaubey. If you mean the Indian Football Association (IFA) in West Bengal, its president is Ajit Banerjee.
The names are easy to mix up because both organizations govern football, but they work at different levels. Here is how to tell them apart, what each president’s role involves, and which organization to follow for national or West Bengal football news.
who is the president of indian football association
The answer depends on which organization you mean. Kalyan Chaubey is the president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the national governing body for football in India. Ajit Banerjee is the president of the Indian Football Association (IFA), the state association that oversees football in West Bengal.
The names are not interchangeable. The AIFF represents Indian football nationally and internationally, while the IFA administers the sport within West Bengal. If a news report says only “Indian football association,” check the organization’s full name or the story’s location before deciding which president it means.
That distinction is the quickest way to get the right answer: a question about the India national teams, national competitions, or FIFA matters usually points to the AIFF. A question about Kolkata clubs, West Bengal leagues, or state football administration usually points to the IFA.
Why the two organizations are easy to confuse
The confusion comes from the similar names. The AIFF is the All India Football Federation; the IFA is the Indian Football Association. Both are football governing bodies, and both use “Indian” in their names, but the words signal different scopes.
The AIFF is the national federation. It is responsible for organizing and governing football across the country and serves as India’s representative in international football structures. The IFA is a state association affiliated with the national federation. Its work is centered on football in West Bengal.
There is also a historical reason the IFA name can sound national. The Indian Football Association was established in 1893, long before the AIFF was formed in 1937. The IFA’s older name has remained in use, even though its present-day area of responsibility is West Bengal rather than the whole country.
Quick rule: “All India” means the national federation; “Indian Football Association” usually means the West Bengal body. For an individual article or announcement, the organization’s official name is more reliable than a shortened headline.
AIFF and IFA: who does what?
The organizations have related but separate responsibilities. The AIFF governs at the national level, while the IFA handles state-level football in West Bengal. The table summarizes the practical difference.
| Organization | President | Main scope | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| All India Football Federation (AIFF) | Kalyan Chaubey | National football governance and India’s international representation | India teams, national competitions, and countrywide policy |
| Indian Football Association (IFA) | Ajit Banerjee | Football administration in West Bengal | West Bengal leagues, clubs, and state-level football |
These are not rival organizations competing for control of the same territory. The IFA operates within the wider national football system, while the AIFF has responsibilities that extend across India. A state association can manage local competitions and development while remaining part of the country’s broader football structure.
What the AIFF president is responsible for
The AIFF president is the elected head of the national federation. The role involves leadership and governance, rather than personally managing every match, club, or national team decision. The federation works through its constitution, elected committees, staff, and football departments.
At a broad level, the AIFF’s work includes national football administration, competition oversight, development programs, and coordination with international football bodies. It also deals with matters affecting the sport across India, including the national teams and the framework in which affiliated state associations operate.
The president helps provide direction and represents the federation in official settings. That does not mean the president alone selects every player, coaches a national team, or makes all operational decisions. Those tasks involve other officials and specialized staff, and they may be governed by established procedures.
This distinction matters when reading news about a result or policy. A president may be quoted about the federation’s plans, but a coach is responsible for team preparation and selection within the coaching role. A league organizer, club, or state association may have authority over a separate competition or local issue.
What the IFA president is responsible for
The IFA president leads the association responsible for football in West Bengal. Its work relates to the state’s clubs, competitions, and football administration. That makes the role relevant to local leagues and the organization of football across the state, not to the national federation as a whole.
West Bengal has a deep football culture, and Kolkata has long been an important center for the sport in India. The IFA’s state-level role helps coordinate organized football in that setting. It is separate from the work of individual clubs, which run their own teams and make their own sporting and business decisions.
As with the national federation, the IFA president does not personally carry out every administrative task. Association officials, committees, employees, clubs, and competition organizers each have responsibilities. A president’s title identifies the head of the organization, not the sole decision-maker for every football matter in the state.
If a report concerns a West Bengal league or a state association announcement, the IFA is likely the relevant body. If it concerns the India national team or a countrywide AIFF decision, the national federation is the more likely source.
How to identify the right president in a news story
Use the organization’s full name, the subject of the story, and its location. These clues usually resolve the ambiguity without needing to guess from a headline.
- Look for the full name. “AIFF” refers to the All India Football Federation. “IFA” commonly refers to the Indian Football Association of West Bengal.
- Check what the story covers. National teams, national federation rules, or international representation point toward the AIFF. A West Bengal competition or state-level announcement points toward the IFA.
- Check the place involved. A story centered on football across India is likely about the AIFF. A story centered on Kolkata or West Bengal is more likely about the IFA.
- Read the organization’s own announcement. An official post or statement can confirm which body issued the news and who is speaking on its behalf.
Headlines sometimes shorten organization names to save space. That can turn an accurate story into an unclear one for readers who do not follow Indian football closely. Read the first few paragraphs or check the organization’s full name before sharing a claim about its president.
What the president’s title does not tell you
A president’s name answers who leads an association, but it does not answer every question about how football decisions are made. Football governance involves multiple roles, and their responsibilities should not be treated as identical.
President and secretary general
The president is the elected head of the association. A secretary general generally has a central administrative role, handling organizational operations and carrying out decisions within the federation’s structure. The exact division of duties depends on the association’s rules and working arrangements.
President and coach
A president is not the national team coach. The coach and coaching staff prepare the team and make sporting decisions within their remit. The president may discuss the team or federation plans publicly, but that does not make the president responsible for training or match tactics.
President and club owner
An association president does not automatically control every club in the country or state. Clubs are separate organizations, and league bodies may have their own structures. The federation’s rules can shape the wider system, but that is different from managing a club’s daily operations.
How leadership changes are confirmed
Presidents can change through elections or other processes set out in an organization’s rules. For that reason, a name from an older article may no longer be current. Be careful with search results that do not show a publication date or that repeat an old profile.
To verify a current officeholder, start with the organization’s official leadership page or a recent official announcement. Then compare it with a recent, reliable news report if the official page is unclear or appears out of date. Confirm that the source refers to the AIFF or the IFA rather than treating the abbreviations as interchangeable.
Also distinguish between an election result and an assumption of office. An election report may describe who won, while a later notice may specify when the person’s term begins. If the timing matters, check the most recent official communication instead of relying only on a short search snippet.
Practical tip: Save the full organization name alongside the president’s name in your notes. Writing “Kalyan Chaubey, AIFF” or “Ajit Banerjee, IFA” prevents the most common mix-up when you return to the information later.
Which organization should you follow?
Follow the AIFF for national football governance and information about India’s international teams and countrywide competitions. It is the relevant national body when the question concerns Indian football as a whole.
Follow the IFA for West Bengal football administration and state-level competition information. If you are looking for details about a specific club or league, the club or competition organizer may also be the most direct source.
For a general question about the national president, use the AIFF answer: Kalyan Chaubey. For a question specifically about the Indian Football Association in West Bengal, use the IFA answer: Ajit Banerjee. Naming the organization beside the person makes the answer clear.
The name depends on which body you mean: Kalyan Chaubey leads the national AIFF, while Ajit Banerjee leads the West Bengal IFA. The similar names refer to different levels of football administration.
For the query who is the president of indian football association, first identify whether the story concerns national football or West Bengal. Then confirm the organization’s current leadership through its official information before relying on an older report.