Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse on 3 July 2025 chaired a wide-ranging review meeting with Maninder Pal Singh, Secretary General of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), and senior federation officials in New Delhi to chart a structured roadmap for India's cycling ecosystem — spanning grassroots outreach, high-performance training, and international competitiveness.

The session covered the full athlete development pipeline: from talent identification at the community level to elite coaching, sports science integration, and global competition exposure. India's expanding ties with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) were also on the agenda, alongside the country's ambition to emerge as a recognised hub for competitive cycling.

UCI Recognition and the Pune Grand Tour

A significant highlight of the meeting was the UCI Annual Report 2026, which has accorded India special recognition for its growing contribution to global cycling. Amina Lanaya, Director General of the UCI, highlighted the success of the Pune Grand Tour 2025 in her message featured in the report and praised India's sporting spirit and the efforts of the CFI.

Minister Khadse described the recognition as 'a matter of immense pride' for the country, noting that internationally sanctioned competitions such as the Pune Grand Tour provide Indian cyclists with exposure against world-class competition while demonstrating India's capacity to host global sporting events.

Five Elite Sprinters Inducted into UCI World Cycling Centre

The CFI briefed the Minister on a landmark development: following the earlier induction of Harshita Jakhar as the first Indian cyclist into the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) Elite Training Programme, five elite sprinters — Ronaldo Singh, Esow Alban, Rojit Singh, David Beckham Elkatohchoongo, and James Singh — along with four support staff members have now been inducted into the WCC programme at Aigle, Switzerland.

The Minister welcomed the development, observing that the placement would give Indian cyclists and coaches access to world-class training infrastructure, sports science support, and international competition exposure — strengthening India's long-term high-performance pipeline.

Khelo India ASMITA Cycling City League

The meeting also reviewed progress of the Khelo India ASMITA Cycling City League, which has emerged as one of India's largest women-centric grassroots cycling programmes. The initiative creates structured competitive opportunities for women cyclists across cities and districts, and Khadse noted that the participation levels reflect growing momentum in women's sports engagement.

She credited the programme with expanding the talent pipeline and creating an inclusive pathway for identifying future champions from the grassroots level upward.

What the Government Said

Speaking at the meeting, Khadse said: 'Under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, India is witnessing a transformational change in its sporting ecosystem. Through initiatives such as Khelo India and Fit India, we are creating greater opportunities for participation, identifying talent at the grassroots, and building a robust pathway for sporting excellence. Cycling possesses immense potential in our country, and through sustained collaboration between the Government, sports federations, and all stakeholders, we can nurture world-class athletes capable of bringing glory to India on the global stage.'

She further underlined that grassroots infrastructure, quality coaching, scientific training methods, and regular competition exposure would be critical to preparing Indian cyclists for the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and the Olympic Games.

What's Next for Indian Cycling

The meeting deliberated on expanding the domestic competition structure, reinforcing coaching and technical capacity, and creating seamless pathways for cyclists to progress from district and state events to national and international platforms. The discussions reaffirmed the government's commitment to sports infrastructure development and women's participation in line with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision. With UCI recognition secured and elite training placements confirmed, the next milestone will be translating this institutional momentum into podium results at marquee international events.