GUANGZHOU -- Chinese soccer has exploded onto the world stage in the past three years. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on famous players and coaches from around the world, and the Chinese Super League is now broadcast in more than 50 countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is a keen soccer fan -- which may explain why Beijing has invested heavily in youth development as well as encouraging the private sector to get involved with super league clubs. The results, in terms of money spent and improvements on the field, have left India far behind.

With its similar population level, India likes to see itself as a rival to China for regional influence. But New Delhi has so far failed to match Beijing's private and public drive in soccer -- the world's favorite game.

There have been some encouraging signs, such as the creation of a glitzy new tournament, the Indian Super League, alongside the longer-standing but less glamorous I-League, and a wave of corporate involvement in youth development.

"The likes of Allianz, Coca-Cola and Tata Group have been investing considerably at the grassroots level," said Abhishek Wakankar, marketing manager of Indian Super League team Pune City. However, he said there was a long way to go to match Chinese levels of spending -- in part because of the overwhelming popularity of cricket, in which India ranks as a world sporting power.

"Big corporations still bank on the popularity of cricket," Wakankar said. "Indian football is still playing catch-up to cricket, and won't be catching up in the foreseeable future."

The Indian government pays close attention to cricket issues, but is not quite as enthusiastic about soccer. That seems to be changing, however, as ministers become increasingly aware of the popularity of the game at grass roots level.

"To know of the interest of millions of youngsters in the game was a very pleasant experience for me," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a radio address in May. "Our affinity for cricket was well known to me, but the growing interest for football itself indicates a fruitful future."

Soccer professionals also see a potentially hopeful future. Matt Holland, assistant coach at I-League champions Bengaluru until June, said the necessary funding was available, but cautioned that persuading businesses that soccer is a worthy investment is another matter.

"India can follow China but it needs strong governance, support and finance," said Holland. "Our owners at Bengaluru are extremely wealthy and a few more like that and the situation would be different. There is a lot of money here. The key is that people want a return on their investment."

That may be an area in which India differs significantly from China, where it is unclear whether some businesses expect to recoup the money they have invested.

Clubs spent more than $400 million in 2016 alone on foreign stars such as Brazil's Alex Teixeira and Givanildo Vieira de Sousa, known as "Hulk," and Colombia's Jackson Martinez -- all of whom are at the peak of their careers. Such talent has helped to improve standards, as has the arrival of famous foreign coaches such as Brazil's Luiz Felipe Scolari and Chile's Manuel Pellegrini.

Aging stars

The ISL, the closest thing that India has to the Chinese Super League, starts its third edition on Oct. 1. The tournament is small in comparison to the CSL, with just eight teams and a 10-week season, compared with 16 teams and a nine-month season in China. Average attendances at matches are similar -- around 25,000 -- but marquee players in the Indian league are typically near the end of their careers.

For example, Chennaiyin's John Arne Riise played for Liverpool in the English Premier League, and for Norway, but is 35 and semi-retired. The Uruguayan star Diego Forlan played for Manchester United, but is now 37 -- an advanced age for a top footballer.

Wakankar said the imports had nevertheless had positive effects. "The raft of foreign players in India due to the lucrative terms on offer in the Indian Super League has helped Indian players on and off the pitch," he said. "Foreign technical staff have also helped local players to actually understand how football is worked on abroad."

In May, the All India Football Federation, Indian football's governing body, announced plans to expand the ISL to 10 teams and to make it the top tier of Indian domestic soccer, with the I-League second. There would be no promotion or relegation between the two, protecting the business stability of ISL clubs.

I-League clubs have complained bitterly, but were already suffering from competition from the better supported and more media-savvy ISL. Three clubs dropped out of the I-League ahead of the 2015-2016 I-League season, citing a lack of long-term vision on the part of the tournament's organizers, leaving only nine.

There are ties between the two competitions, however, including the supply of I-League Indian players to ISL clubs during the I-League off-season. "The players always look forward to the ISL due to its glitz and glamour, full stadiums and better television coverage," said Holland. "It just looks better. If they can run Indian football from top to bottom the same as how the ISL is run, it would be fantastic."

That is exactly what the AIFF is planning with its commercial partner IMG-Reliance, a sports, fashion and entertainment joint venture set up by Reliance, an Indian conglomerate, and IMG, part of the U.S. entertainment, sports and fashion group WME-IMG.

Wakankar said the idea of making the ISL the peak tournament in Indian football was sound, but warned that execution would be difficult if the ISL had to extend its short season. That might cause franchise owners to struggle to finance their teams, including paying for the expensive foreign stars. The AIFF is working with the Asian Football Confederation, the top body for regional soccer, on how its plans can be implemented and financed.

The AFC has been taking a close interest in India, which is staging the continent's championships for players under 16 from Sept. 15 to Oct. 2. The under-17 World Cup, run by FIFA, soccer's global governing body, will follow in 2017.

Such tournaments should help to build a stronger football infrastructure in India, and AIFF president Praful Patel has spoken of bidding for a future under-20 World Cup. As in China, though, the real key to achieving take-off for soccer in India will be the sport's success in attracting private investment.