The government on Sunday proposed a major grassroots expansion of its sport, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing the launch of the Khelo India mission aimed at transforming India’s sports ecosystem over the next decade.
Presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said the proposed mission will build on the existing Khelo India program by moving from identifying talent to addressing long-standing structural gaps in coaching, training, infrastructure and sports science.
“The sports sector provides many avenues of employment, skills and job opportunities. As part of the systematic nurturing of sports talent that is being set in motion through the Khelo India programme, I propose to launch the Khelo India mission to transform the sports sector over the next decade,” Sitharaman said in her budget speech.
The Khelo India program was launched in 2017 has largely focused on holding national level competitions across age groups to identify promising athletes at grassroots level. While this has helped expand the talent pool, politicians and experts have increasingly pointed to the need for a more integrated way that supports athletes beyond early identification.
The finance minister said the proposed mission will address this by creating an integrated talent development framework supported by training centers at the grassroots, middle and elite levels. The mission will also prioritize the systematic development of coaches and support staff, the integration of sports science and technology into training programs, and the organization of competitions and leagues to promote a stronger sports culture across the country.
Infrastructure development will form another key pillar of the mission, focusing on facilities needed for both training and competition. The government has repeatedly acknowledged that uneven access to quality infrastructure remains a major bottleneck to India’s sporting ambitions, particularly outside metropolitan centres.
Sitharaman also highlighted the economic potential of the sports sector, noting that India could become a global hub for high-quality and affordable sports goods. It has announced a dedicated sporting goods manufacturing initiative to support domestic manufacturing, research and innovation in equipment design and materials science.
“I am proposing a dedicated sporting goods initiative that will support manufacturing, research and innovation in equipment design as well as materials science,” she said, hinting at an attempt to align sporting development with the government’s manufacturing and jobs agenda.
The budget announcement comes on the heels of recommendations from a Sports Ministry-appointed task force headed by Pullela Gopichand, which called for greater emphasis on building a deep pool of high-quality coaches. The working group proposed an Olympic Podium Target Scheme for coaches, under which they would receive financial and professional support similar to that currently extended to elite athletes.
India’s renewed focus on long-term sports development also assumes significance in the context of upcoming global ambitions. The country is poised to host the Commonwealth Games and has submitted a bid to host the Olympics in 2036. As both events require sustained excellence across multiple disciplines, Khelo India’s proposed mission is seen as a crucial step towards building a pipeline capable of delivering consistent international success.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 1, 2026
