National Sports Policy Nod: Cabinet Approves Khelo Bharat Niti, Says It Will Bring India Into Top-5

Calling it a "strategic roadmap" for India's elevation into the top five of world sports, the cabinet on Tuesday approved the Khelo Bharat Niti to create "world-class systems" of coaching and athlete support along with a robust administrative set-up to make the country a strong contender for the 2036 Olympics.

Previously called the National Sports Policy and introduced for the first time in 1984, the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 will supersede the 2001 policy. It is a "guiding document" to formulate plans and schemes for betterment of the country's sporting ecosystem.

"We have used the experience of the last 10 years and the new policy will work towards improvement of sports. Major objective is to make India a top-five sporting nation by 2047. That's the overall objective," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters while unveiling the policy and other cabinet decisions.

"The PM has given a different kind of emphasis to sports, especially in rural areas," he said.

"It's a well thought through policy which addresses all matters related to sports. It also includes the framework for sports governance," he added.

India is bidding to host the 2036 Olympic Games for which there has been a massive push to create infrastructure and bring events of international stature to the country.

A statement from the Press Information Bureau described the new policy as an outcome of "extensive consultations" involving central ministries, NITI Aayog, state governments, National Sports Federations (NSFs), athletes, domain experts, and public stakeholders.

"Today is a landmark day for India's efforts to encourage sporting talent and become a hub for sports! The Cabinet has approved Khelo Bharat Niti, a national policy for sports," Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X.

"This policy is anchored on 5 pillars: Excellence on the Global Stage, Sports for Economic Development, Sports for Social Development, Sports as a People’s Movement, Integration with Education (NEP 2020).

"May Indian sporting talent always flourish!" he added.

It seeks to link sports with tourism and economic development.

"So many people travel to watch an IPL, a football game. So that boosts tourism and economic development," Vaishnaw said.

The country of over a billion is cricket-obsessed but the improvement in its performance in Olympic sports has been rather slow. India is yet to hit the double digit mark in Olympic sports with the count of seven in 2021 Tokyo Games being its best ever show.

The new policy hopes to change that and is seeking to align with the National Education Policy by making sports an integral part of school curriculum. It states that the objective is to equip educators and physical education teachers with specialised training to promote sports education.

Among the listed goals is to establish a robust regulatory framework for sports governance and development of innovative financing mechanisms, including private sector participation through PPPs and CSR.

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya called it a transformative step towards reshaping India's sporting ecosystem.

"This landmark policy outlines a strategic roadmap to promote sports culture at the grassroots, enhance infrastructure, support athlete development, and establish India as a formidable force in global sports," he posted on X.

The changes it makes to the previous policy includes calling for greater participation of private companies, something that Mandaviya has already spoken about.

The minister had recently stated that he has held consultations with over 40 companies, who are keen on adopting individual Olympic sports.

The sports ministry is also working towards promoting a "league culture" across disciplines, including financing those which need funding. Creating leagues is also a stated objective of the new policy.

The document also seeks to promote more inclusivity and increase participation in sports among under-represented groups such as women, economically weaker sections, and tribal communities.

"Creating and maintaining such facilities can significantly reduce barriers and promote active participation among them," the policy states.