Sports can be an effective instrument of India's soft power in the Global South. Discuss with reference to recent policy initiatives.

Soft power means influencing others through attraction rather than coercion. India is now putting money and institutions behind sport for this purpose. The Cabinet approved a ₹36,441 crore Khelo India–ANSF package for 2026-31 [2]. The revised ANSF guidelines explicitly add Global South and multilateral sports cooperation [1].

How recent initiatives project soft power

• Capacity-building partner: athletes from the Global South get scholarships and subsidised use of SAI and non-SAI High Performance Centres [1]. This extends India's development-partnership model to sport.
• Multilateral diplomacy: the scheme funds competitions, conferences and research for BRICS and BIMSTEC [1]. This strengthens regional and South–South ties.
• Hosting power: aid for hosting an international event is now up to ₹50 crore, up from ₹2 crore in 2025 [3][1]. This supports the CWG 2030 and 2036 Olympic ambitions [1].
• Voice in global governance: the scheme supports international and continental federations that have offices in India [1]. This builds influence over agenda-setting.
• Cultural export: the scheme pays to get indigenous sports included as demonstration events at the Olympics, Asian Games and CWG [1]. Yoga's global spread shows how this kind of cultural export can work.
• Credible host: single-sport Olympic Training Centres are meant to reduce India's own reliance on overseas training [1].

Limitations

• Thin domestic capacity: about 45% of sanctioned SAI posts are vacant, and some of the 24 NCOEs are not working [4]. India cannot credibly train others while its own system is understaffed.
• Autonomy risk: FIFA suspended the AIFF in 2022 over third-party interference [5]. If international bodies see the National Sports Governance Act's powers as government control, bans could damage India's image.
• Discretion: big grants are approved case by case by a committee headed by Secretary (Sports), with no published formula [1]. Prestige events could crowd out spending on athletes.
• Top-down approach: indigenous games are showcased abroad while akharas at home get no regular funding [4].

Sport, then, gives India a ready way to build goodwill in the Global South, through training partnerships, hosting and cultural export. That influence will last only if it rests on strong domestic foundations. India should fill SAI vacancies, publish transparent criteria for grants and keep federation rules consistent with the Olympic Charter. Done this way, sports diplomacy fits the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and SDG 17's call for global partnerships.