Indian athletes have once again topped the global charts for doping violations, with the country recording a record 260 dope-related cases in 2024, according to the latest report released by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
The data, published on Wada’s website, ranks India as the world’s worst doping offender for the third consecutive year. The findings come at a sensitive time, with India preparing to host the centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030 and actively pursuing a bid to stage the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Concerns over the scale of doping in Indian sport were flagged earlier this year when an Indian delegation visited the International Olympic Committee’s headquarters in Lausanne, where officials raised red flags over the issue.
According to Wada, India accounted for 260 adverse analytical findings (AAFs) in 2024, translating into a positivity rate of 3.6 per cent, the highest among countries that conducted more than 5,000 tests. The National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada), headquartered in Delhi, carried out 7,113 tests during the year, including 6,576 urine samples and 537 blood samples. Of these, 253 urine samples and seven blood samples returned positive results for prohibited substances.
Nada has maintained that the figures reflect a more aggressive and expansive testing regime rather than a spike in doping cases. In 2023, the agency recorded 213 positive cases from 5,606 samples, indicating a year-on-year rise linked to increased surveillance.
By comparison, several major sporting nations reported significantly lower positivity rates despite conducting more tests. France logged 91 anti-doping rule violations from 11,744 samples, a positivity rate of 0.8 per cent. Russia recorded 76 violations from 10,514 samples, or 0.7 per cent, while China registered just 43 positives from 24,214 tests, a rate of 0.2 per cent. The United States carried out 6,592 tests, fewer than India, and reported a positivity rate of 1.1 per cent.
The report underlines the depth of the doping problem within Indian sport and highlights the urgent need for stronger scientific, medical and research support systems. It also points to gaps in awareness among coaches, doctors and physiotherapists attached to teams, many of whom lack basic knowledge about performance-enhancing substances, supplements and medication protocols.
“While this position may appear concerning at both national and international levels, it is essential to underscore that the figures are a direct outcome of India’s intensified anti-doping efforts, marked by expanded testing and stronger detection mechanisms rather than a surge in doping prevalence,” Nada said in a statement. In 2025, Nada said it has so far conducted 7,068 tests, with 110 adverse results, bringing the positivity rate down to 1.5 per cent.
In response to the persistent challenge, the Indian Olympic Association has recently constituted a new anti-doping panel, while the government has passed a national anti-doping bill aimed at strengthening enforcement and ensuring higher standards of integrity across Indian sport.
