The Indian Olympic Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Ahmedabad on January 9, 2026, marked a significant moment in the restructuring of Indian sport.
Conducted after a gap of nearly three years, the meeting was less about routine approvals and more about resetting priorities financial, administrative, and athlete-centric priorities as India charts a long-term course towards becoming a top-10 Olympic nation by 2036.
Presided over by P.T. Usha, the AGM aligned closely with the government’s broader sports reform agenda, especially following the implementation of the National Sports Governance Act (NSGA) 2025. Together, these developments indicate a decisive shift from ad hoc administration towards a more structured, accountable Olympic movement.
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One of the most immediate outcomes of the AGM was the doubling of annual operational grants for National Sports Federations (NSFs), increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh. State Olympic Associations also saw their grants rise from ₹7 lakh to ₹10 lakh. While modest when viewed against elite sport budgets globally, the increases acknowledge the rising costs of professional administration and compliance in modern sport.
Importantly, the IOA made it clear that funding will no longer be unconditional. According to IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer, grant disbursement, particularly to state units, will be tied to governance standards, transparency, and proper utilization strictly for sports development. This conditional funding model is designed to discourage dormant or non-performing bodies and reward those aligning with reform.
Beyond annual grants, the IOA also introduced a tiered incentive structure for hosting international events. Federations will now receive up to ₹50 lakh for hosting world-level events, ₹30 lakh for Asian-level competitions, and ₹20 lakh for Commonwealth-level meets. This is aimed at encouraging more international competitions in India, providing athletes with high-quality exposure at home, and strengthening India’s credentials as a future Olympic host.
Governance Under a Legal Framework
The AGM was the first major IOA meeting after the partial implementation of the National Sports Governance Act 2025, which came into force on January 1. The Act fundamentally alters how Indian sport is governed, replacing advisory codes with a statutory framework.
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Under the Act, all recognized federations fall under the oversight of a National Sports Board (NSB), with government funding strictly linked to compliance. A National Sports Tribunal (NST) has also been established to fast-track disputes related to elections, selection, and governance in an attempt to prevent athletes from being trapped in prolonged court battles.
Structural changes mandated by the Act include caps on age (generally 70 years) and tenure (three terms or 12 years) for top office-bearers, smaller executive committees, and compulsory inclusion of Sportspersons of Merit in decision-making bodies. Federations are also now treated as public authorities under the RTI Act, significantly increasing transparency.
Athletes at the Centre
A defining feature of the “P.T. Usha era” has been the emphasis on athlete empowerment. The AGM highlighted the growing role of the Athletes’ Commission, chaired by M.C. Mary Kom with Achanta Sharath Kamal as vice-chairman. The announcement of India’s first-ever **National Athletes’ Forum**, held alongside the AGM, symbolized this shift from athletes as beneficiaries to stakeholders in governance.
The IOA also outlined plans for a dedicated Athletes’ Department and greater use of Olympian interns, ensuring that policy decisions remain grounded in athlete experience. Complementing this is the RESET (Retired Sportsperson Empowerment Training) Programme, which addresses post-retirement career pathways through short-term training in areas like coaching, fitness, event management, and sports entrepreneurship.
Infrastructure and the 2036 Vision
The AGM reinforced that all these reforms feed into a single strategic objective: “Top 10 by 2036.” A key pillar of this vision is infrastructure. Plans are underway to upgrade 10 National Centers of Excellence into specialized Olympic Training Centers, each dedicated to a single sport and housing around 150 elite athletes with full sports science and coaching support.
Ahmedabad emerged as the focal point of this ambition. The IOA has already submitted an expression of interest to the IOC for hosting the 2036 Games, with the proposed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in Motera positioned as the nucleus. The plan includes a massive sports complex, Olympic Village, and satellite venues across Gujarat, supported by a multi-city hosting model involving hubs like Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Pune, and Mumbai.
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Despite the optimism, federations raised concerns during the AGM. These included the decline of sports infrastructure in schools, high GST and import duties on specialized equipment, and the financial strain on technical sports. The government reiterated its push for the “One Corporate, One Sport” model and deeper state–federation partnerships, inspired by Odisha’s hockey success.
The meeting also paused to acknowledge the legacies of former IOA presidents Suresh Kalmadi and V.K. Malhotra, recognizing their contributions while signaling a clear break from past governance cultures. The 2026 IOA AGM did not promise overnight transformation. What it did offer was something Indian sport has often lacked: structure, clarity, and accountability. With increased funding tied to governance, athletes gaining a stronger voice, and a legally backed reform framework, the foundations for India’s Olympic ambitions are being laid methodically.
Whether this translates into medals by 2036 will depend on execution. But for now, Indian sport has moved from intent to infrastructure—and that, in itself, marks meaningful progress.
