The final round of the Santosh Trophy national football championship will be held in Arunachal Pradesh from February 21 to March 9, 2024.
The 12 teams have been divided into two groups of six each. Kerala have been drawn in Group A along with hosts Arunachal Pradesh, Services, Meghalaya, Goa and Assam.
Group B consists of holders Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Manipur, Mizoram and Railways.
The new format will see the top four teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.
Kerala had finished second behind Goa in the qualifiers.
Group A: Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Assam, Services, Kerala
Group B: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Manipur, Mizoram, Railways