Sixth Khelo India Winter Games Open in Gulmarg, Alpine Skiing Draws Highest Entries
Around 400 athletes are competing at the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg, where events in skiing and snowboarding will be held over the next four days.
The upcoming edition of the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg is shaping up as a live demonstration of the government’s ambitious Khelo Bharat Niti, with a noticeable surge in tourism, local business activity and national participation ahead of the February 23–26 competition window.
Introduced by the Union Sports Ministry in July last year, the Khelo Bharat Niti is designed to strengthen India’s sporting ecosystem while using major events as catalysts for economic growth. Alongside infrastructure creation, talent identification and improved international competitiveness, the policy also aims to stimulate allied sectors such as tourism, manufacturing and sports technology.
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That blueprint is already visible in Gulmarg, one of Kashmir’s premier winter destinations, where tourist interest has climbed sharply in the run-up to the Games. With India’s leading skiers, including Winter Olympians, set to compete, the event has generated excitement across the region, especially among those whose livelihoods are tied to sports tourism.
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Local businesses report a distinct upswing. Abeed, a hotelier at Sheen Woods Tangmarg, said reservations had jumped weeks before the event. “For us, this is more than just tourism. It is our identity. When the Games happen, Gulmarg feels like the heart of the country,” he says, gesturing toward a lobby bustling with athletes from Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Telangana and Jammu & Kashmir.
“You hear different languages at breakfast,” he says. “It feels like a country in one room.”
The Winter Games have grown steadily since their inception. The inaugural edition in 2020 featured 1,123 athletes across 13 disciplines, with Jammu & Kashmir topping the medal tally. Participation increased to 1,208 athletes in 2021, when the host region secured 18 gold medals.
The 2023 edition marked the high point in numbers, with 1,395 athletes competing and Jammu & Kashmir claiming 26 gold, 25 silver and 25 bronze medals. Although the 2024 and 2025 editions saw fewer events and participants, the competitive edge sharpened, with teams such as the Army, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka producing strong performances.
As the sixth edition approaches, the emphasis has shifted from experimentation to building a lasting legacy, particularly in reviving tourism after a difficult phase. Following the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, domestic tourist arrivals to Kashmir fell sharply to around 10.47 lakh in 2025, compared to roughly 26 lakh in 2024.
Tourism officials, however, say footfall has rebounded this year, aided by the New Year rush and rising anticipation for the Winter Games. Of Gulmarg’s 2,300 hotel and hut beds, more than 50 per cent are already booked for the event period.
The economic ripple extends beyond hotels and resorts. On the slopes of Kongdoori, sledge pullers Altaf Hussain and Muhammad Rafiq are preparing for an expected surge in visitors. “This is our season,” Hussain says, adjusting the ropes over his shoulders. “When the games start, Gulmarg comes alive.”
The pair typically earn between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500 per tourist, depending on distance and time, with daily incomes ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 during peak days, a significant jump from lean periods when visitor numbers dwindle.
The 2026 edition will feature four medal disciplines: ski mountaineering, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing (cross-country) and snowboarding, drawing athletes and spectators from across India.
As Gulmarg readies itself for another marquee winter sporting event, the Khelo India Winter Games are proving to be more than just a competition. They stand as a tangible example of how sports policy can energise local economies, deepen national sporting culture and reinforce Gulmarg’s status as India’s winter sports capital.
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