NEW DELHI — The Athletics Integrity Unit on Monday elevated the Athletics Federation of India to Category A, its "extremely high" doping-risk classification, requiring Indian athletes to meet more stringent anti-doping requirements. The move places India alongside Russia, Belarus, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Ukraine after the federation was upgraded from Category B in the unit's risk rankings.

The AIU is an independent body tasked with fighting corruption and wrongdoing, including doping, in athletics. India ranked in the top two for the most anti-doping violations in athletics between 2022 and 2025.

"The doping situation in India has been high-risk for a long time and, unfortunately, the quality of the domestic anti-doping programme is simply not proportionate to the doping risk. While the AFI has advocated for anti-doping reforms within India, not enough has changed. The AIU will now work with the AFI to achieve reforms to safeguard the integrity of the sport of athletics, as we have done with other Category A member federations," said AIU chair David Howman.

World Anti-Doping Agency chief Witold Banka, who was in New Delhi last week, said "India is the biggest producer of performance-enhancing drugs." Banka also said that India's consistent position as one of the leading doping violators would not hamper its chances of hosting prestigious global sporting events.

India is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and has an ambition to stage the 2036 Olympics. An Indian delegation that visited the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, last year was told to curb doping to boost the country's Olympic bid.

AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla said the federation was working with the AIU, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the National Anti-Doping Agency to address the issue. "There's nothing wrong in more scrutiny. More athletes are getting caught in India because more tests are being conducted. We are fighting it tooth and nail," he said. "The crooks and criminals doing it should be stopped by police. We are not police, our job is to create a policy, and the government is helping," Sumariwalla added.