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The Revamped Khelo India Scheme & India's Transition into a Global Sporting Nation (UPSC/RAS/PSI)

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  • Nodal Ministry- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS)

1. Macro Executive Overview & Budgetary Expansion

  1. Financial Outlay Expansion- The Union Cabinet approved the revamped, expanded Khelo India Scheme for the 2026–27 to 2030–31 period with a combined outlay of ₹36,441 crore (inclusive of enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations).
  2. Record Budgetary Allocation- The Union Budget 2026–27 allocated a record ₹4,479.88 crore to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, representing a 270% increase from ₹1,219 crore in 2013–14.
  3. Demographic Dividend Synergy- Focuses on leveraging India's demographic structure, where approximately 65% of the total population is below 35 years of age.
  4. Target Horizon- Establishes a structured, data-driven athlete tracking system to position India among the top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and top 5 by 2047 (Viksit Bharat@2047).
  5. Institutional Amalgamation (2017 Origin)- Originally formed by merging three former schemes Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan, Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme, and National Sports Talent Search Scheme.

2. Core Pillars & Comprehensive Athlete Development Pathway

  1. Five Foundational Pillars- Focuses on- (a) Establishing multi-tiered training centres; (b) Coach capacity building; (c) Advanced sports science/psychology/nutrition; (d) Organising structured leagues; and (e) Modern infrastructure development.
  2. Tiered Institution Ecosystem- Links National Centres of Excellence (NCOE), Khelo India Centres of Excellence (KICE), SAI Training Centres (STC), Accredited Academies, District Khelo India Centres (KICs), and Armed Forces Youth Sports Companies.
  3. School Integration Rails- Introduces Khelo India Feeder Schools and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas to align early sports identification with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Khelo Bharat Niti 2025.
  4. Emerging Athlete Pool Expansion- Creates a new "Emerging Khelo India Athletes" category, expanding the structured, subsidized national talent pool nearly ten-fold.
  5. National Coach Accreditation Board- Establishes a standardized board to govern coaching certifications, paired with an integrated, unified digital database for real-time athlete performance tracking.

3. Key Achievements & Infrastructure Footprint (As of July 2026)

  1. Infrastructure Capital Approval- Approved 349 new sports infrastructure projects valued at ₹3,176 crore across various States and Union Territories.
  2. District-Level KICs- Established 1,067 functional Khelo India Centres (KICs) to ensure every district across India possesses a dedicated grassroots training node.
  3. Supported Academies & Athletes- Currently supports 267 accredited sports academies and provides direct coaching, equipment, medical care, and out-of-pocket stipends to 2,745 Khelo India Athletes (KIAs).
  4. Mass Participation Volume- Over 63,000 youth and university athletes have actively competed in the various Khelo India Games editions since 2018.
  5. Year-on-Year Growth- Funding grew steadily from ₹1,756 crore (2017–20), to ₹3,790.50 crore (2021–26), reaching an annual allocation of ₹924.35 crore in FY 2026–27 for outcome-driven execution.

4. The Multi-Disciplinary Khelo India Games Ecosystem

  1. Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG)- Launched in 2018 as Khelo India School Games in New Delhi, re-branded in 2019 alongside the Indian Olympic Association as the flagship national talent competition.
  2. University & Winter Games (2020)- Introduced Khelo India University Games (KIUG) to bridge varsity sports with professional ranks, alongside Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) for snow/ice disciplines.
  3. Para Games Inclusion (2023)- Launched the Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) to provide dedicated, fully accessible competitive platforms for para-athletes.
  4. Coastal & Water Expansion (2025)- Added the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) and Khelo India Water Sports Festival to harness India's 7,500+ km maritime and inland water resource base.
  5. Tribal Games Debut (2026)- Debuted the Khelo India Tribal Games (KITG) in 2026 to identify, preserve, and promote indigenous sporting talent and traditional games from interior tribal regions.

5. Targeted Support Initiatives (TOPS, KIRTI & Manufacturing)

  1. Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)- Revamped in 2018 under MYAS to support elite athletes; as of April 2026, it funds 51 Core Athletes, 52 Para Core Athletes, and 130 Development Athletes with monthly stipends (₹50,000 for Core, ₹25,000 for Development).
  2. KIRTI (Khelo India Rising Talent Identification)- Uses AI-driven talent assessment protocols and data analytics across 174 Talent Assessment Centres (1,87,921 assessments completed) for transparent selection among children aged 9–18.
  3. Sports Goods Manufacturing Initiative- Allocated ₹500 crore in the Union Budget 2026–27 to transform India into a global hub for high-quality, affordable sports equipment and material science R&D.
  4. Private Sector Partnerships- Encourages corporate social responsibility (CSR) investments and private academy collaborations to bring global expertise into sports infrastructure.
  5. Fit India Movement Expansion- Promotes active lifestyle awareness across schools and communities to broaden the bottom tier of the national fitness pyramid.

6. Multi-Sport International Benchmark Performances

  1. Olympic Transformation- Advanced from 2 medals at Rio 2016 (117 athletes), to 7 medals at Tokyo 2020 (119 athletes), and 6 medals at Paris 2024 (117 athletes).
  2. Paralympic Record Trajectory- Progressive growth from 4 medals at Rio 2016, to 19 medals at Tokyo 2020, reaching a historic best of 29 medals (7 Gold, 9 Silver, 13 Bronze) at Paris 2024.
  3. Asian Games Landmark- Improved from 57 medals (Incheon 2014) and 69 medals (Jakarta 2018) to an all-time high of 107 medals (28 Gold, 38 Silver, 41 Bronze) at Hangzhou 2023.
  4. Commonwealth Games Tally- Sustained strong performances with 64 medals (Glasgow 2014), 66 medals (Gold Coast 2018), and 61 medals (Birmingham 2022).
  5. Glasgow 2026 Execution- Secured 4th place with 39 medals (13 Gold, 17 Silver, 9 Bronze); highlighted by 10 boxing medals (7 golds), historic individual firsts in Judo (Asmita Dey, Harsh Tokas), Decathlon (Tejaswin Shankar), and track-and-field double medals (Gulveer Singh).

7. Grassroots Case Studies- Khelo India to Global Podium

  1. Arundhati Choudhary (Boxing)- Transitioned from a mathematics student in Kota to winning 3 consecutive Khelo India golds (2018, 2019, 2020), culminating in the Women's 70 kg Gold Medal at CWG Glasgow 2026.
  2. Asmita Dey (Judo)- Hailing from Belonia, Tripura (daughter of a bicycle mechanic), she leveraged the Khelo India University Games to win multiple titles, becoming India's first Commonwealth Games Judo Gold Medallist (Glasgow 2026).
  3. Jhandu Kumar & Rishikanta Singh- Jhandu Kumar opened India's CWG 2026 tally with Para Powerlifting bronze, while Rishikanta Singh set a new CWG record in weightlifting snatch (60 kg silver).
  4. Mirabai Chanu's Historic Streak- Secured India's first gold at Glasgow 2026, marking her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold title.
  5. Demonstrated Pathway Validation- Proves that bridging grassroots identification with elite technical funding (TOPS) removes geographic and socio-economic barriers for rural talent.

Source: PIB