New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a massive expansion of the Khelo India Scheme and enhanced the Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) program on Friday. The government allocated a combined outlay of Rs 36,441 crore for the five-year period spanning 2026-27 to 2030-31. Markedly expanding the original program, this outlay represents an eightfold increase over previous allocations, making it the largest public investment in domestic sports development since Independence. The comprehensive program is designed to build a structured pipeline for young athletes, connecting grassroots talent from school playgrounds to international podiums.
Aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025, the scheme establishes a seamless talent identification and training framework across India. It integrates physical education, advanced sports science, and high-performance coaching while laying foundational support for upcoming international milestones, including the 2030 Commonwealth Games and India’s long-term bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
To expand the country’s athletic base, the government introduced the Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIAs) category alongside the established Khelo India Athletes program. This addition is projected to expand the structured athlete development pool nearly tenfold. Ground-level efforts will be supported by new educational initiatives, including Khelo India Feeder Schools (KIFS) and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas (KIUV), designed to identify and nurture young talent within the school system.
The expanded scheme also focuses on upgrading domestic infrastructure and operational standards through the establishment of the National Coach Accreditation Board (NCAB) to standardize coaching qualifications. Furthermore, a unified digital sports platform will be deployed to maintain athlete databases, track performance metrics, and manage sports infrastructure. Parallelly, the revamped ANSF scheme will provide direct financial support to national federations for foreign expert engagements, specialized equipment, international exposure, and sports cooperation initiatives targeting the Global South.
