Sports Budget 2026: Five Talking Points – Khelo India Mission, Olympic Bid Focus, And More

The Union Budget 2026-27, presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, introduced several projects to develop India’s sports sector.

With the country preparing to host major sports events in the coming years, the government has introduced the Khelo India Mission, along with developments in infrastructure and goods manufacturing.

The overall budget allocation for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was INR 4479.88 crore – a marked increase from last year’s revised allocation of INR 3346.54 crore. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has been allocated INR 917.38 crore.

Here are five major talking points from the Finance Minister’s speech with respect to sports.

Long-Term Development Focus

One of the key elements of the budget is its long-term focus. The newly announced Khelo India Mission expands the government’s flagship programme into a decade-long development framework. The mission broadens its scope to include coaches, training staff and structured development pathways. Innovation in sports science and technology has been highlighted.

Infrastructure Under Spotlight

The budget mentioned “development of sports infrastructure for training and competition”, an area that has long hampered India’s sporting growth. Access to quality training facilities and venues remains uneven, particularly outside major cities.

This issue was exposed during the India Open 2026 badminton tournament, where inadequate facilities drew condemnation from the participants. This budget will hopefully aim to fix such gaps as India prepares to host international events.

Boost For Sports Goods Manufacturing

For the first time, the budget has pushed to strengthen sports goods manufacturing and innovation. India’s neighbours have dominated this space, with Pakistan’s Sialkot recognised as the world’s football manufacturing hub and Bangladesh’s jersey market. The capability to produce high-quality, affordable equipment will allow India to reduce its reliance on imports.

Khelo India’s Evolution Continues

Since its launch in 2017, the Khelo India programme has evolved from a talent identification platform into a programme with a much broader focus. The new mission extends the support to coaches and training personnel, while also strengthening pathways across age groups and sporting disciplines. Whether it will achieve the success that the likes of China have seen remains to be seen.

Commonwealth, Olympic Bids Give Boost

India’s ambition to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad and its bid for the 2036 Olympic Games have provided a boost to the sport-centric provisions in this budget. If India wants to win the bid for the Summer Games, it would require a host of world-class multi-sport stadiums and training centres.

India can look at the example of Morocco. The North African country has aggressively developed its football stadiums and facilities ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. India now has a decade to prepare for a similar transformation.