With FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke sitting next to him, the AIFF chief announced it minutes before signing a 10-year agreement with football's governing body to develop the game in the world's second most populous nation enamoured otherwise with cricket.
"Indian football is poised for a big leap after a long period of hibernation," stressed Patel, also the India government's Heavy Industries minister.
"There's going to be a long time before India truly comes up to the expectations of the football-loving community of the country but one thing I must say is that we are certainly on the right track."
The sport also remains popular only in certain geographic areas while the television appetite is restricted to the English Premier League or Spain's La Liga.
Patel, however, insisted the rankings were not the true reflection of India's team, who beat a second-string Cameroon team to win a five-nation tournament earlier this month and he remained optimistic FIFA's support would help develop the game.
Valcke also sounded convinced of football's potential in India.
"You are 1.2 billion people and it's impossible that 1.2 billion people are just playing cricket. There is definite space for football," Valcke said.
Lack of infrastructure, a struggling national league, low television viewership and scant sponsorship mean it's easier said than done, according to a local football author.
"I think it was a populist statement," said Jaydeep Basu, who has authored Stories From Indian Football, an anecdotal history of the game in the country.
"India rank 32nd in Asia and the immediate goal should have been to be among the top 10 in the continent which would ensure a better draw in international tournaments.
"You have a struggling national league and a pool of less than 90 Indian players to choose your national team from - so much for a country of 1.2 billion!
"In a vast country like ours, you need 50,000 'C' licence coaches but you have only 2500. Only 12 of the 32 states have a proper local league.
"If you can solve all these problems and qualify for 2022 World Cup, you (have) got to be a genius," Basu said.
Nearly 120,000 fans gave a memorable farewell to Oliver Kahn in the German goalkeeper'
