PM Modi ’s sports revolution boosts India’s global performance with Khelo India, Fit India, and record medals, driving the dream of a Viksit Bharat.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met with the Indian women’s cricket team, which won the World Cup, he made a request. He instructed the girls to return and interact with the kids at the schools where they had previously studied.

An odd request, you may think. The prime minister, meanwhile, is well aware of the “kundalini” of athletic power. Greatness in sports comes from the bottom up, from small bursts of opportunity and inspiration that ignite young talent to run like a hound, jump like an antelope, swim like a shark, and arch like a cat.

India has made significant, unnoticed progress in sports in recent years; in fact, it may be PM Modi’s greatest underappreciated accomplishment in the past 11 years.

His administration has made athletics a top priority in an effort to empower young people, promote national cohesion, and boost the economy. It has incorporated sports into the National Education Policy and the Prime Minister’s goal of a developed India by 2047, known as Viksit Bharat. Public-private partnerships in sports have also been promoted by it. Infrastructure, funding for elite athletes, and the promotion of fitness as a lifestyle have all flourished along with grassroots talent scouting. Cash has poured into programs like National Sports University, Fit India Movement, Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Khelo India, and Khelo Bharat.

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The average yearly sports budget of the NDA is Rs 2,800 crore, which is 1.5 times higher than the average of Rs 1,100 crore for the UPA. With a youth population of roughly 65 percent, the government increased the sports budget by 130.9%, from Rs 1,643 crore in 2014–15 to Rs 3,794 crore in 2025–26.

Additionally, it has immediately begun to produce outcomes. India has achieved record-breaking results abroad, including a record-breaking 107 medals in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and its best-ever Olympic medal total of seven medals at Tokyo 2020.

Sports for women have greatly improved. 50% of Khelo India Scholarships are awarded to girls, and they have been winning half of the international medals. Fit India has made sports mandatory for girls in over one lakh schools.

The field of sports for the disabled has seen unexpected success. India took home 29 gold, 31 silver, and 51 bronze medals from the 2023 Asian Para Games in China, setting a new record of 111 medals. In yet another record-breaking performance, it placed fifth overall.

India has decided to bid for the 2036 Olympic Games, with Ahmedabad as a possible host city, thanks to this confidence. To the International Olympic Committee, the Indian Olympic Association has sent a Letter of Intent. There are reports that the bid is in the “continuous dialogue” stage. In private, officials insist it’s a done deal.

For Khelo India medalists, the Modi administration’s support of sports has resulted in the creation of over 1,000 jobs. According to 2023 projections, the sports sector has increased by Rs 15,000 crore, and by 2030, it is predicted to reach Rs 1 lakh crore.

Over 30,000 coaches have been taught, over 1,000 Khelo India Centers (KIC) have been constructed or renovated, and over 11,000 youth clubs have been outfitted under Khelo India. It includes 200 million children between the ages of 10 and 18.

Among the celebrities that trained under TOPS were Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu, and PV Sindhu. The swimming prowess of Aditi Hegde of Maharashtra and the kayaking and canoeing prowess of Muhammad Hussain, Sajad Hussain, and Mohsin Ali.

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More than 200 parliamentary constituencies have hosted Fit India quarterly activities, and the organization has visited more than one lakh schools and colleges. Since the inception of International Yoga Day in June 2015, attendance has increased by 20%.

Fitness is the fundamental human engine, and sporting success unites a nation. The astute politician in Modi recognizes the importance of this. Hence, the nation’s most powerful guy asks female athletes to just take a break and work at the core. That is plenty to inspire millions of other girls to aspire to be champions.