National Sports Policy 2025
National Sports Policy 2025
Posted On: 01 JUL 2025 3:14PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025, a landmark initiative aimed at reshaping the country’s sporting landscape and empowering citizens through sports.
The new policy supersedes the existing National Sports Policy, 2001, and lays out a visionary and strategic roadmap to establish India as a global sporting powerhouse and a strong contender for excellence at international sporting events, including the 2036 Olympic Games.
- Excellence on the Global Stage
This pillar aims to:
- Strengthen sports programs from the grassroots to elite levels, including mechanisms for early identification and nurturing of talent.
- Promote the establishment of competitive leagues and competitions, and develop sports infrastructure in both rural and urban areas.
- Build world-class systems for training, coaching, and holistic athlete support.
- Enhance the capacity and governance of National Sports Federations.
- Encourage the adoption of sports science, medicine, and technology to boost athletic performance.
- Train and develop sports personnel, including coaches, technical officials, and support staff.
- Sports for Economic Development
NSP 2025 recognizes the economic potential of sports and seeks to:
- Promote sports tourism and attract major international events to India.
- Strengthen the sports manufacturing ecosystem, and promote startups and entrepreneurship in the sector.
- Encourage private sector participation through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and innovative funding initiatives.
- Sports for Social Development
The policy emphasizes the role of sports in driving social inclusion by:
- Promoting participation among women, economically weaker sections, tribal communities, and persons with disabilities through focused programs.
- Revitalizing and promoting indigenous and traditional games.
- Positioning sports as a viable career option by integrating it into education, encouraging volunteering, and facilitating dual-career pathways.
- Engaging the Indian diaspora through sports.
- Sports as a People’s Movement
To make sports a national movement, the policy aims to:
- Drive mass participation and a culture of fitness through nationwide campaigns and community-based events.
- Launch fitness indices for schools, colleges, and workplaces etc.
- Enhance universal access to sports facilities.
- Integration with Education (NEP 2020)
In alignment with the National Education Policy 2020, the NSP 2025 proposes to:
- Integrate sports into school curricula.
- Equip educators and physical education teachers with specialized training to promote sports education and awareness.
- Strategic Framework
To realise its objectives, the NSP 2025 lays down a comprehensive implementation strategy encompassing:
- Governance: Establish a robust regulatory framework for sports governance, including legal framework.
- Private Sector Funding & support: Develop innovative financing mechanisms and engage private sector participation through PPPs and CSR.
- Technology & Innovation: Leverage emerging technologies, including AI and data analytics, for performance tracking, research, and program implementation.
- National Monitoring Framework: Create a national framework with well-defined benchmarks, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and time-bound targets.
- Model Policy for States: The NSP 2025 will serve as a model for States and Union Territories, encouraging them to revise or formulate their own policies in alignment with national objectives.
- Whole-of-Government Approach: The policy calls for integration of sports promotion into the activities, schemes, and programs of all Ministries and Departments to achieve a holistic impact.
With its structured vision and forward-looking strategy, National Sports Policy 2025 sets India on a transformative path toward becoming a leading sporting nation globally, while creating healthier, more engaged, and empowered citizens.