India Taps Rivers and Policy Push to Unlock Water Sports Potential
India is steadily advancing its water sports ecosystem through institutional support and strategic initiatives, with the National Institute of Water Sports playing a central role in setting safety standards and assessing infrastructure nationwide.

Whenever it rained, who hasn't faced the urge to splash water and run boats in water puddles? This childlike urge was a signal of how much we enjoy water sports.
Ranging from kayaking, scuba diving, and surfing to mainstream swimming, all provide an impetus to go beyond life on land and appreciate the world underwater. With recent initiatives like the Tehri Lake water sports development , India has a comprehensive strategy to aid water sports.
PIB Delhi released its report on the development of water sports infrastructure. The detailed report laid out facts about the National Institute of Water Sports under the Ministry of Tourism itself. The centre provides quality assessment of the water sports infrastructure throughout the country and is responsible for giving assessment reports and declaring safety standards.
DEVELOPMENT OF WATER SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE
— PIB India (@PIB_India) March 30, 2026
The Ministry of Tourism through its autonomous institute “National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS–IITTM)” conducts courses related to scuba diving, diving, surfing, parasailing, canoeing and other water sports. NIWS-IITTM is the nodal… pic.twitter.com/MUUrTMVZDV
Status of the water sports ecosystem
No formal proposals have been in operation currently for the same genre in coastal and southern Canada. Some states are targeting building to use the National Institute for Water Sports as satellite centres. One major central push for the same is the Khelo India Water Sports Festival that occurred in Srinagar . Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala merged as the major states in the competition.
The report also illustrates the construction of water sports infrastructure over the Ganga (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Sutlej (Himachal Pradesh), Indus (Ladakh), Chenab, Godavari, Kaveri, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Sabarmati, Netravati, Sharavati, Tungabhadra, Mandovi, Chapora, Ghataprabha, Ravi and canal systems in Kerala. NIWS–IITTM has developed comprehensive strategies and SOPs to administer sports activities.
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