Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday marked the first anniversary of the Fit India ‘Sundays on Cycle’ initiative, calling its growth from a modest pilot to a nationwide movement a reflection of India’s changing fitness culture.
“Over 2 lakh locations, more than 20 lakh people. One mission – Fit India. Celebrating one year of #SundaysOnCycle,” Mandaviya posted on X, summing up the scale the initiative has achieved in just 12 months.
700+ districts ✨
2 lakh+ locations
20 lakh+ peopleOne Mission
Fit IndiaCelebrating 1 year of #SundaysOnCycle.
Puducherry pic.x.com/U5a4rhcDzu
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 21, 2025
The anniversary celebrations in Puducherry transformed the Rock Beach into a vibrant fitness festival, with more than 1,500 cyclists, including school students, NaMo Cycling Club members and university youth, participating in the ride. Events were held at over 10,000 locations across the country, organised by the Sports Authority of India and Khelo India centres.
Explaining the programme’s rapid expansion, Mandaviya said the initiative had grown far beyond expectations.
“When we started this a year ago, it was organised at just five locations with about 500 participants. Today, more than 10,000 locations take part every Sunday, with over 10 lakh citizens joining regularly. It has become a passion, a culture and a powerful solution for pollution,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support had helped turn it into a nationwide fight against obesity.
The celebrations were joined by several top athletes, led by Padma Bhushan and Khel Ratna awardee P R Sreejesh, who cycled alongside participants and interacted with the youth.
“Being fit is not about training for medals alone; it is about building discipline and balance in everyday life. Cycling is a simple habit, but when adopted collectively, it builds a healthier society and a stronger nation,” Sreejesh said, praising the initiative for turning fitness into a people’s movement.
Veteran table tennis star Sharath Kamal also highlighted the importance of accessible fitness, saying initiatives like Sundays on Cycle make sport inclusive and achievable for everyone, regardless of age or background.
Joining from SAI Sonipat, Arjuna Award-winning archers Jyothi Surekha and Abhishek Verma echoed similar sentiments, stressing that regular physical activity is crucial not just for athletes but for society at large.
Coinciding with World Meditation Day on December 21, the anniversary event featured a range of fitness and traditional activities, including yoga, Zumba, carrom, chess, mallakhamb, silambam and rope skipping, reinforcing the idea of fitness as “meditation in motion”.
Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan and Chief Minister N Rangasamy also addressed the gathering. Rangasamy described cycling as one of the simplest ways to stay healthy, while Kailashnathan emphasised how small lifestyle changes could significantly reduce environmental impact.
A major highlight of the day was the launch of the Fit India Mobile App’s Carbon Credit Incentivisation feature. Cyclists Bharatbhai Parmar, Shashikant Veerkar and Govind Singh, who earned the highest carbon credits, were honoured at the event.
“From now on, every month, cyclists from every State and Union Territory will be mapped through the Fit India mobile app and the top three performers will be incentivised. This is to encourage citizens to adopt cycling as a daily habit,” Mandaviya said.