As the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 approaches in Gulmarg, the event is poised to demonstrate the transformative power of India’s national sports policy. Scheduled for February 23-26, it’s already sparking a boom in tourism and local commerce, proving the ‘Khelo India’ framework’s dual focus on athletic development and economic upliftment.
Introduced in July last year by the central sports ministry, the policy seeks to strengthen infrastructure, identify promising talents, and elevate India on the global sports stage. By leveraging mega-events, it stimulates growth in tourism, production, and sports tech sectors. Gulmarg, renowned for its snowy slopes, has long hosted such gatherings, but this edition highlights policy-driven progress.
The influx of elite athletes, including Olympic-caliber skiers, has electrified the area. Local entrepreneur Abid, owner of a Tangmarg hotel, notes a pre-event booking frenzy. Surveying athletes from diverse states like MP, Haryana, Kerala, Telangana, and J&K, he enthuses, ‘It’s beyond business—it’s our essence. The Games turn Gulmarg into a microcosm of India, alive with regional dialects.’
Event scale has expanded remarkably: 1,123 participants in 2020 (J&K led medals), 1,208 in 2021 (18 host golds), and a record 1,395 in 2023 (J&K’s 76 medals total). Recent years saw scaled-back participation, yet Army, Himachal, and Karnataka excelled.
Tourism rebounded after a post-Pahalgam attack slump (from 2.6M to 1.047M visitors). Festive season and Games hype have filled over half of Gulmarg’s 2,300 lodging options.
Sledders Altaf Hussain and Mohammad Rafiq on Kongdori are optimistic. ‘Games breathe life here,’ Hussain says. ‘Peak earnings hit 1,500-3,000 rupees daily per person.’
With competitions in ski mountaineering, alpine, cross-country, and snowboarding, the Games transcend sports—symbolizing policy success in economic revival, cultural unity, and positioning Gulmarg as the nation’s winter sports epicenter.