The Khelo India initiative has been started by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India with an aim to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level and providing substantial long-term scholarships to talented athletes. The talented athletes will be provided with a scholarship of INR 5 lakh rupees per annum for 8 years. Another purpose of the Khelo India Programme is to establish India as a great sporting nation. 

The Government of India’s ambitious Khelo India initiative was launched by Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore the Minister of State (Independent charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports. Colonel Rathore spoke about the vision of. Colonel Rathore stated that Prime Minister Modi intends to develop the sporting culture in India. He stressed the importance of sports for the overall development of the country. The Khelo India Programme will help in the development of sports in the country by arousing the interest in sports among the youth of the country.  

Khelo India Programme has been divided into 12 verticals. They are

Play Field Development 

Community Coaching Development 

State Level Khelo India Centres 

Annual Sports Competition 

Talent Search and Development 

Utilization and Creation/Upgradation of Sports Infrastructure 

Promotion of rural and indigenous/tribal games 

Sports for Peace and Development 

Promotion of sports amongst people with disabilities 

Sports for women 

Physical fitness of school children 

Support to National/Regional/State Sports Academics 

The Khelo India School Games were organized as a part of the Khelo India programme. The games were organized from 31st January 2018 to 8th February 2018 in New Delhi. Under-17 athletes from across the country participated across 16 disciplines. The aim of organizing these games was to encourage the participation of youth in sports and further take up a career in sports. In the upcoming years, the Khelo India Programme will help India transform into a global sporting powerhouse.