Cabinet Approves Rs 29,000 Crore Five-Year Outlay For Khelo India; Increases Funds For NSFs Too

Calling it the most ambitious sports development programme since independence, the union cabinet on Friday approved an expanded Khelo India Scheme and enhanced the budget for Assistance to the National Sports Federations (ANSFs) with a combined outlay of Rs 36,441 crore covering the next five years.

The government has allocated Rs 29,054 crore to the Khelo India Scheme that aims to build a pool of talented athletes at the grassroots level as India bids to become a global sporting hub by hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games and bidding for the 2036 Olympics.

The assistance to NSFs has been pegged at Rs 7387 crore over the next five years. The existing budgetary allocation for the Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs) for the year 2026-27 stood at Rs 425 crore.

"The approved outlay is nearly eight times that of the previous Khelo India Scheme, reflecting the Government's commitment to making sports a cornerstone of youth development, nation-building and India's emergence as a global sporting powerhouse," read a statement from the government.

Khelo India was launched in 2017 and has been receiving the lion's share of allocation from the union sports budget annually. The scheme currently has close to 2800 athletes on its roster and they are provided government funding for nutritional and training needs through scholarships.

A nationwide network of Khelo India Centres of Excellence (KICoEs), Khelo India Accredited Academies (KIAAs), Khelo India Centres (KICs) and Youth Sports Companies (YSCs) of the Armed Forces is currently in operation to train athletes.

To strengthen the school sports ecosystem, the government has introduced two new initiatives, Khelo India Feeder Schools (KIFS) and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas (KIUV) which will "integrate sports with mainstream education and enable early identification and systematic nurturing of talented children."

The Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) Scheme for the period 2026-31 will financially support athletes' coaching, modern equipment, international exposure, engagement of foreign experts and participation in major international competitions. The scheme is designed help NSFs conduct camps and tournaments.

"It will also support sports cooperation with countries of the Global South and promote India's indigenous sports internationally," the government stated.

"Special emphasis has been placed on expanding opportunities for women athletes, para-athletes, indigenous sports, and sports as a tool for peace, inclusion and community development.

"The scheme also provides support for organising the National Games and hosting major international sporting events in India," it added.

The scheme also envisages a unified digital sports platform on which athlete databases, infrastructure, competitions, coaching resources, talent assessments, funding and Fit India participation would be integrated.

The platform will enable data-driven planning, "transparent governance and personalised athlete development."

The government said it is hopeful that the revamp would lay a "strong foundation" for India's long-term ambitions, including the the country's bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Expanding Athlete Pool

Another reform under the scheme is the creation of the Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIAs) category alongside the existing Khelo India Athletes programme.

"This will expand the structured athlete development ecosystem by nearly ten times, bringing thousands of additional young athletes under professional coaching, scientific support and long-term mentoring," the government said.

The nationwide talent identification framework would involve Zonal Committees, Scouts, High Performance Directors and High Performance Managers who will identify, track and develop promising athletes across the country.