The 31-year-old, who won her sole global crown on home soil in New Delhi in 2006, could make her debut on January 19 against a yet-to-be-named foreign opponent.

Sporty Boxing Private Limited, a commercial partner of the Indian Boxing Council (IBC), intends to support her to promote boxing in her home state of Manipur.

"I was on a curve where one needed to make crucial decisions about the competitive playing career," said Devi.

"I can’t think of living without boxing.

"I needed an opportunity to extend my playing career and finances to live up to my dream of promoting talent in Manipur."

Devi added that she still harboured hopes of competing at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta to avenge "the wrong done to her at the 2014 Games in Incheon", where she refused to accept a bronze medal after suffering a controversial semi-final defeat to home favourite Park Ji-na in the women's lightweight division.

Most observers believed the victory should have gone to Devi, who placed her medal around the neck of Park, the eventual silver medallist, before leaving it discarded on the mat.

Many in India claimed the result was yet further evidence of biased judging in the sport, with the country's then Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar among those to leap to Devi's defence.

But the International Boxing Association (AIBA) stood behind their judging system and punished Devi.

As well as being given a one-year ban from boxing, Devi was fined CHF1,000 (£796/$975/€933), although this came as a partial relief as there were fears in India she would be banned for life.

Devi, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games lightweight silver medallist, returned to action in November of last year.

She failed to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics and is keen to make up for the disappointment in her professional career.

"I am a professional boxer now," Devi added.

"I am training hard.

"My first target is an Asian title in the next six months.

"My ultimate goal is to retire as a world champion."

IBC President P K Muralidharan Raja is confident that Devi will be successful in the professional ranks.

"As a keen follower and veteran administrator of this sport, I have seen the career graph of this girl," he said.

"This amazing talent somehow could not get right opportunities.

"She has the potential and commitment to be the flagbearer and ambassador of this transformation."