In 1900, when India participated in the Olympics, there were no women representing the country. In 2024, women made up over 40 percent of the Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics, which included a team 70 men and 47 women. Indian women have achieved visible success International sporting success Both at the Olympic Games and at the World Championships. However, despite the increase in the sports budget over the last 10 years, the proportion of women in the elite category has been limited.
The budget allocation to the Sports Ministry increased from INR 1,643 crore in FY 2014-15 to INR 3,794 crore in FY 2025-26. This represents an increase of 130.9 percent. In 2023, the government launched the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision to strengthen elite performance and increase grassroots participation.
This vision was linked to several flagship initiatives such as Khelo India, TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) and Fit India. ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action) plays an important role in the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. However, the question remains whether India is promoting equal sporting opportunities or merely celebrating women who have overcome structural barriers.
Policy Timeline: How India Built Its Sports Financing System
India’s investment in sports has evolved significantly over the years; Some of the significant initiatives are as follows:
2014: Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
The TOPS program was introduced to provide athletes with quality training; first-class coaching with foreign trainers; financing international events; and necessary support, including nutrition and access to exercise science, for elite/high performance athletes and potential Olympic medalists.
Under this program, the Indian government takes full responsibility for training elite athletes. However, this initiative is limited to providing high-intensity support only after an athlete has already reached the elite level. With only a fraction of athletes reaching such a level, the majority of support is needed at the grassroots level, where girls leave the sport long before they are eligible for elite support. According to the UNGirls are twice as likely to drop out of sport by the age of 14 than boys. The program itself is not flawed as it is primarily aimed at providing support at the highest level to achieve visible results, which in turn would encourage girls at the grassroots level to pursue sports as a career. However, more needs to be done at the grassroots level.
2018: Khelo India
While TOPS focuses on elite athletes, Khelo India was launched to focus on sports infrastructure at the grassroots level by creating a strong structure for sports competitions at both school and university levels.
As part of this program, young talents are identified in schools and universities for further training and financial support. In order to promote women in sport, the program specifically provides for a focus on sports disciplines where female participation is lower. The program is therefore fundamentally aimed at promoting women in sport. Accordingly, the government estimated INR 924.35 crore provided to the Khelo India program to promote a sports culture beyond the elite level.
2021: ASMITA
ASMITA was founded to specifically focus on women in sports by organizing leagues in various disciplines. While the above two programs were gender-neutral and focused on the overall development of the country’s sports infrastructure as well as the identification and development of young talent, ASMITA further helps identify young talent at the grassroots level through women-specific leagues. The program helps women level the playing field with men by giving them better opportunities to be seen and identified.
All of these flagship initiatives indicate a gradual shift in the country’s mindset, from merely celebrating sporting successes to creating more such successes by investing in sport and providing support at all levels.
However, there is no clear, gender-disaggregated record of how much of spending actually goes to women. Therefore, the effectiveness of these programs depends on whether women’s access to sport improves, whether they can remain loyal to sport and whether they can progress in this area.
The missing middle: between base and podium
The problem is not that there is a lack of sports development programs in India. The problem lies in the insufficient connection between the various existing programs. This can be addressed through a comprehensive support framework for athletes at every stage of their journey. For example, a young female athlete who is given the opportunity to receive a Khelo India scholarship should be supported on her journey to becoming a high-performance athlete and ultimately receive tailored TOPS support as a medal contender. The aim must be to combine talent development with elite support.
The missing link that pushes girls out of the sports program is the variety of challenges they face in adolescence, such as: Mobility restrictions and early marriage. It is noted that worldwide 49 percent of girls drop out of sports in their teens, which is six times higher than the dropout rate for adolescent boys.
Furthermore, UN Women states this 58 percent of girls in India missed sporting activities during their period. The gender of the trainer is also a factor that can influence participation during the menstrual cycle. According to a survey, approx 92 percent of female athletes were uncomfortable discussing menstrual cycle information with female coaches, while only 55 percent felt comfortable doing so with male coaches. Although this does not prove that every female athlete needs a female coach, it is still one of the factors that can affect continued participation of female athletes.
Another factor is the training costs. Although there are various schemes that provide assistance with training costs and cover trainer fees and training infrastructure, in reality training costs extend beyond coaching to nutrition, healthcare and equipment, most of which are borne by families. International research also reports less access to sports science and medical support for female athletes compared to male athletes.
In addition, gender-based violence and Safety of women in sport must also be addressed. Following the Wrestler protests 2023a supervisory committee was formed. However, this alone does not ensure safety, as female athletes continue to face security risks and institutional barriers to access to justice that can suppress disclosure of violence and render reform futile. Therefore, for a grievance mechanism to be effective, it must not only exist on paper; Athletes also have to trust him.
On the other side of the world: lessons from other countries
India is not the only country committed to equal sporting opportunities for women. A current report from the Aspen Institute reviewed the sports governance structures in different countries. China’s national strategy focuses on talent, treating it as a key resource and investing heavily in elite performance. The General Sports Administration (GAS) is directly monitored by the central government in China. The Chinese government has invested heavily in finding and developing sports talent at the school level, with the goal of becoming a global sports power.
Also, Brazil’s sports bag provides direct funding to athletes at multiple levels of high-level competition, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The idea is to support athletes before they become potential Olympic medalists. Indonesia’s integrated modelOn the other hand, it has merged sporting ambitions with community-based exercise, making sport an integral part of both education and leisure activities.
Additionally, the United States Department of Education now ensures that athletic opportunities and benefits are consistent for men and women. Given that the prevention of gender discrimination in educational programs and activities is required by law in the United States Title IXthe enforceability of such provisions is more certain.
In India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has notified both the National Sports Board and the National Sports Tribunal as integral parts thereof National Governance Actwhich aims to provide guidelines for safe sport and equal participation. While the law is promising, the Indian sports landscape can learn from the “missing middle” strategy reflected in the examples above, where community-focused approaches and scholarship are channeled into investments in female athletes. Such investments can enable long-term results and support gender-equitable financing.
Government programs such as Khelo India, TOPS and ASMITA have significantly expanded the sports support architecture. Support for top female athletes has also increased measurably: the number of top female athletes has increased from 48 in 2015 to over 140 in 2022. However, success under Viksit Bharat 2047 cannot only be measured by medals or increased financial contributions. Providing safe accommodation and transportation, recruiting female coaches, supporting menstrual and reproductive health, maternity leave for elite athletes and mental health care are some of the issues that need to be given due consideration by the government.
India celebrates every single medal it wins, but the true measure of success lies in how many athletes, especially women athletes, receive adequate support and investment to reach the highest level in their respective fields of sport.
Pooja Damodaran is a lawyer specializing in international law, arbitration and corporate legal strategy. She has an LL.M. from Stockholm University, received his doctorate and was a visiting scholar at the Lauterpacht Center for International Law. She is currently Vice President (Legal) at Siechem Technologies Pvt Ltd.