Reviewing the anti-doping policy of India: missing the wood for the trees?

India notified the National Anti-Doping Act (the Act) on 12 August 2022. Through this legislation, India appears to reiterate its commitment to compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code (the WADA Code). However, the reality of doping in Indian sports is far from ideal. India ranks second globally in terms of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). The question then is, what flaws existed in the pre-Act anti-doping policies? Further, how far has the developing country narrative of India impacted these policies? Finally, to what extent does the Act address the existing gaps in India's anti-doping policy? The article addresses these questions to evaluate the necessity of the Act. The article reviews the existing literature on India's anti-doping policy. The review includes government status reports, the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA's) decisions and WADA's ADRVs report. These documents establish that the pre-Act anti-doping policy of India had failed to stem the incidents of doping within Indian sports. The Act is a flawed piece of legislation. Consequently, India's anti-doping policy is unlikely to be impacted, though further quantitative research in the future is needed to evaluate the Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]