The Indian Super League [ISL] could see the addition of three new teams next season.
The eight-team competition, founded in 2014, has grown sharply in popularity and is now one of the top five best-attended leagues in the world.
The league's organisers, Football Sports Development Limited [FSDL], announced on Thursday they are inviting bids from prospective team owners in respect of 10 cities - Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cuttack, Durgapur, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri and Thiruvananthapuram.
FSDL say between one and three teams will be invited to join the fourth edition of the Indian Super League, adding that if there is a winning bid from Kolkata, the team must play outside of the city for the next two seasons.
The Indian Super League is currently comprised of eight teams - Atletico Kolkata, Chennaiyin, Delhi Dynamos, FC Goa, FC Pune City, Kerala Blasters, NorthEast United and Mumbai City.