Swimming in India, while popular for leisure, is striving for professional recognition under the Swimming Federation of India (SFI), formed by a merger of the National Swimming Association and the Indian Swimming Federation. Indian swimmers have recently achieved historic milestones, with Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj securing the nation's first-ever direct Olympic qualifications for Tokyo 2020. Nataraj will again represent India at Paris 2024 alongside Dhinidhi Desinghu, and also notably won a silver medal at the 30th Mare Nostrum swimming tour in France.

Historically, India's most significant achievement remains Sachin Nag's gold medal in the 100m freestyle at the inaugural 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi, complemented by two silver and six bronze medals overall, the latest in 2014. Despite setting seven national records at the 2023 Asian Games, no medals were won. To foster future success, the SFI is implementing long-term development plans, including the launch of the Mizuho High Performance Swimming Programme in 2024.