The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a comprehensive revamp of the Khelo India Scheme and enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) with a combined financial outlay of ₹36,441 crore for the period spanning 2026-27 to 2030-31. This represents nearly an eight-fold increase compared to the previous Khelo India Scheme, marking it as the country's most ambitious sports development programme since Independence.
The revamped scheme is designed to create a seamless pathway for talented young Indians from school playgrounds and village sports fields to the Olympic podium, ensuring no sporting talent remains undiscovered due to geography, economic background, or lack of opportunity. Aligned with the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 and National Education Policy 2020, the scheme integrates sports with education, fitness, technology, and high-performance training while laying a strong foundation for India's long-term sporting ambitions including the 2030 Commonwealth Games and potential bids to host Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A major structural reform involves the creation of an integrated nationwide sports ecosystem comprising National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs), Khelo India Centres of Excellence (KICoEs), SAI Training Centres (STCs), Khelo India Accredited Academies (KIAAs), Khelo India Centres (KICs), and Youth Sports Companies (YSCs) of the Armed Forces. These institutions will provide world-class coaching, sports science support, and modern infrastructure across the country.
The scheme introduces two new educational initiatives—Khelo India Feeder Schools (KIFS) and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas (KIUV)—to strengthen the school sports ecosystem and enable early identification and systematic nurturing of talented children. A significant expansion involves creating the Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIAs) category alongside the existing Khelo India Athletes programme, which will expand the structured athlete development ecosystem by nearly ten times, bringing thousands of additional young athletes under professional coaching and scientific support.
The programme establishes a strengthened nationwide talent identification framework involving Talent Identification Development Committees, Zonal Committees, Talent Scouts, High Performance Directors, and High Performance Managers to ensure continuous identification, tracking, and development of promising athletes. It also creates a clear progression pathway from grassroots competitions to Khelo India, and subsequently to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), enabling deserving athletes to receive world-class training and international exposure.
The revamped scheme significantly strengthens India's domestic competition ecosystem by supporting school, university, regional, and sport-specific leagues alongside national championships. Special emphasis has been placed on expanding opportunities for women athletes, para-athletes, indigenous sports, and using sports as a tool for peace, inclusion, and community development. The scheme also provides support for organising National Games and hosting major international sporting events in India.
The Fit India Movement will be significantly expanded to promote fitness as a nationwide movement, particularly among young people, with campaigns encouraging active lifestyles, women's participation in sports, outreach in border and remote areas, and sports-based initiatives against substance abuse.
On the institutional side, the Government will establish the National Coach Accreditation Board (NCAB) to standardise coaching qualifications and improve professional standards. The scheme envisages a unified digital sports platform integrating athlete databases, infrastructure, competitions, coaching resources, talent assessments, funding, and Fit India participation to enable data-driven planning and transparent governance.
The Government will deepen collaboration with private academies, corporate partners, and other institutions to leverage investment, innovation, and expertise in sports infrastructure and talent development. The enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) Scheme for 2026-31 will support Indian athletes and teams through funding for coaching, sports science, modern equipment, international exposure, coaching camps, engagement of foreign experts, and participation in major international competitions. It will also support sports cooperation with Global South countries and promote India's indigenous sports internationally.