New Delhi, Feb 1(.) The union Budget 2026–27 marks a significant step towards strengthening India’s sports ecosystem, with focused interventions aimed at talent development, infrastructure creation and manufacturing and employment generation. Presenting the Budget in Parliament, Finance Minister and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced the launch of the Khelo India Mission, envisioned to transform the sports sector over the next decade.
Highlighting the growing importance of sports as a development sector, the Finance Minister stated “The Sports sector provides multiple means of employment, skilling and job opportunities. Taking forward the systematic nurturing of sports talent which is set in motion through The Khelo India programme earlier, I propose to launch a Khelo India mission to transform the sports sector over the next decade.”
In the union Budget, Rs. 500 crore has been allocated to Promotion of Sports Goods Manufacturing.
The Khelo India Mission will adopt a comprehensive approach to strengthen the sports ecosystem across the country. As outlined by the Finance Minister, the mission will focus on:
(a) Integrated talent development pathways supported by training centers which are foundational, intermediate and elite level.
(b) Systematic development of coaches and support staff.
(c) Integration of sports science and technology.
(d) Competition and leagues to promote sports culture and provide platform.
(e) Development of sports infrastructure for training and competition.
The mission aims to create structured athlete pathways, strengthen institutional capacity and improve performance outcomes at all levels.
Emphasising the youth-centric nature of the Budget, the Finance Minister underscored that the proposals reflect ideas and aspirations emerging from youth engagement initiatives. She noted:
“In Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026, several innovative ideas were shared with our Prime Minister, which have inspired many of the proposals, making this a unique Yuva Shakti-driven Budget.”
Recognising India’s potential in the global sports manufacturing ecosystem, the Budget also proposes a dedicated initiative for sports goods manufacturing. The Finance Minister said
“India has the potential to emerge as a global hub for high quality, affordable sports goods. I propose a dedicated initiative for sports goods that will promote manufacturing, research and innovation in equipment design as well as material sciences.”
The initiative is expected to promote domestic manufacturing, encourage innovation and strengthen India’s presence in global sports supply chains.
The union Budget 2026–27 provides enhanced financial support to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, with an increase of Rs 1,133 crore in overall budget allocation, to fulfil the vision of positioning India among the Top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and among the Top 5 by 2047. The allocation for the Ministry has increased from Rs 3,346 crore (RE) in 2025–26 to Rs 4,479.88 crore (BE) in 2026–27. The enhanced allocation will strengthen implementation of centrally driven sports and youth development schemes, including athlete development programmes, youth engagement initiatives, coaching and support systems, sports science integration and infrastructure development.
The increased allocation reaffirms the Government’s commitment to empowering India’s youth while building a robust, inclusive and globally competitive sports ecosystem.
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