The National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), established by the Government of India in November 1998 under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, is a dedicated mechanism for promoting sports excellence through financial support for elite athletes, high-performance infrastructure, sports science, coaching, and international exposure. This study examines the performance of the NSDF during 2014–15 to 2025–26 using secondary data from official government sources. The analysis reveals substantial fluctuations in fund mobilization, with total annual contributions declining to ₹1,511.00 lakh in 2020–21 during the COVID-19 pandemic before increasing to a record ₹38,354.46 lakh in 2023–24. Government matching contributions reached ₹13,872.00 lakh in 2023[6]–24, ensuring financial stability amid changing CSR support. Funding for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) increased from ₹1,000.00 lakh in 2016–17 to ₹2,807.52 lakh in 2021–22, with cumulative releases of ₹15,853.38 lakh during the study period. CSR remained the principal funding source, contributing ₹14,163.71 lakh in 2023–24 and ₹5,544.38 lakh in 2024–25, led by the REC Foundation's contribution of ₹10,500.00 lakh (40.13%). The NSDF also invested ₹113.77 crore in sports infrastructure, including athlete hostels, High-Performance Centres, and Anti-Doping and Nutrition Testing Centres. The findings indicate that while the Fund has significantly strengthened India's high-performance sports ecosystem, it continues to face challenges arising from dependence on a limited number of CSR contributors, uneven regional infrastructure development, and fluctuating annual funding. The study recommends promoting long-term CSR partnerships, diversifying funding sources, strengthening General Pool contributions through fiscal incentives, ensuring balanced regional investment, streamlining fund disbursement, and enhancing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Overall, a stable, diversified, and strategically managed NSDF is essential for ensuring sustainable sports financing, strengthening athlete development, and enhancing India's performance in future Olympic, Paralympic, Asian, and Commonwealth Games.