The Union Cabinet has approved a massive eight-fold funding increase for the revamped Khelo India Scheme, targeting a talent pool of 28,000 athletes as India eyes Olympic glory at home in 2036.
India has taken its boldest step yet toward becoming a global sporting power, with the Union Cabinet approving an allocation of ₹29,054 crore for the new phase of the Khelo India Scheme — an eight-fold increase on previous funding. The overall outlay, including assistance to National Sports Federations, stands at ₹36,441 crore for the period 2026 to 2031.
The ambitious programme is primarily designed to identify and develop talent early with the 2036 Olympics firmly in sight. The scale of the challenge is underscored by India's recent Olympic record: the country achieved its best-ever finish of 48th place with seven medals at the Tokyo 2021 Games, before slipping to 71st with six medals at Paris 2024. To compete at the top table, India is estimated to need approximately 30 to 40 medals, including gold medals in double digits.
At the grassroots level, the scheme aims to expand Khelo India centres, State and National centres of excellence, and accredited academies from roughly one per district — more than 1,000 centres currently — to an average of two or three per district. The plan involves schools and clubs, encourages talented children to compete in club-level events, upgrades facilities, and integrates grassroots coaches and technical officials.
A notable innovation within the scheme is an effort to help local coaches overcome the language barrier posed by English, broadening access to coaching knowledge. The formation of a National Coach Accreditation Board is intended to standardise coaching practices, while better utilisation of physical education teachers is expected to raise the quality of training at the basic level.
In alignment with the National Education Policy, two new initiatives — Khelo India Feeder Schools and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalaya — are designed to integrate education and sports. The existing Khelo India Athletes programme currently supports 2,904 athletes, and a new Emerging Khelo India Athletes initiative aims to expand the overall talent pool to around 28,000. Key components of the scheme include talent identification, digitisation of the sports ecosystem to maintain data on every athlete, and a bottom-to-top communication channel.
The 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad will serve as an immediate benchmark for India's progress. However, the article highlights two significant hurdles: the need for effective and transparent implementation of the scheme, and India's reputation as a doping hub. Strict anti-doping measures, promotion of a sports culture through the Fit India Movement, and sustained grassroots development are identified as essential to achieving the country's sporting ambitions. Elite athletes will continue to be supported by the existing Target Olympic Podium Scheme.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Sport. Photo courtesy The Hindu Sport.