In India, where the sports climate has predominantly been shadowed by sports like Cricket and Badminton, Kabir Gupta is scaling an entirely different kind of dream— quite literally. A Grade 11 student at the American Embassy School in New Delhi, Kabir is a competitive Sport Climber and one of India’s most promising young athletes.
Beyond his national podiums and chalk-covered fingers, he’s also on a mission to transform the future of the sport for those who may never have imagined it as a possibility.
Kabir began climbing at the age of five. Perchance, discovering climbing at the Indian Mountaineering Federation in Delhi, his weekend hobby soon transformed into a passion for him.
“Climbing is a three-way connection between the wall, your body, and mind. There was something about cracking complex routes and problem-solving, the challenge of reaching the summit of the wall — it hooked me,” he recalls. Over the years, the sport has shaped his own personal journey and identity.
Since 2022, Kabir has held the title of North Zone Gold Medalist, a consistent force on the national circuit. This year, he reached his personal milestone, a National Podium Silver Medal at the National Climbing Championship, placing him officially as India’s No. 2 in Bouldering. A string of national podiums followed in Lead and Bouldering in Kolkata and Jamshedpur, wherein Kabir continued his winning streak.
With climbing being an Olympic sport, the ecosystem for training and infrastructure plays an important role in a climber’s growth and exposure. To prepare and elevate his training, Kabir trained under renowned coaches and elite climbers from Austria, Slovenia, and Japan over the years. His journey has taken him to outdoor climbing havens like Sethan and Raksham in Himachal Pradesh, and even high-altitude conditioning camps in Ladakh.
Yet even as Kabir climbed higher, a question persisted: Is this a sport for only the privileged who had access to the right gear, equipment, and training facilities? Were the athletes from the underserved communities having to grapple with their own personal walls, holding them back from growth and success?
Kabir recognised that, from basic necessities like proper equipment, nutrition, and training, to more nuanced aspects such as mental health support, rehabilitation, and the opportunity to participate in national and international competitions, the barriers for the athletes were daunting.
There are no readily available resources or funds from the government or other sports bodies that are forthcoming. The lack of media attention to the climbing sport doesn't help either, as athletes do not get the required visibility to attract sponsorships.
That realisation became the seed of something bigger — Project Elevate.
Launched in 2024, Project Elevate is Kabir’s social enterprise dedicated to the purpose of uplifting athletes who are not funded or underfunded. The mission of Elevate is to become a conduit
between corporations through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and athletes to fund training, traveling, nutrition, as well as psychological and medical needs.
“So far, we’ve supported four athletes — providing them with climbing gear, mentorship, and funding for their first major competitions. Our recent success was in sending Aman Verma to compete in the Asian Boulder Cup in Hong Kong. Growing up in a humble background, his dreams and personal potential were big, and financial obstacles were even bigger. That’s when Project Elevate stepped in, and we were able to crowd fund him Rs 95,000 within 24 hours, to enable him to travel to Hong Kong and represent India in March 2025,” Kabir states.
Additionally, Project Elevate raised Rs 67,000 for climber Sachin Saroj, enabling him to undergo shoulder surgery and access nutritional support during rehabilitation — a lifeline that could preserve his career.
The project also drew attention on international platforms. Kabir pitched Project Elevate at the Diamond Challenge, an entrepreneurship competition hosted by the University of Delaware. His pitch made it to the finals round in Chandigarh, providing not only validation and proof of concept but also mentorship and global feedback.
Kabir has ambitious plans ahead. He’s in conversation with corporates to build a climbing wall at a school in rural Uttar Pradesh. This would serve as a pilot for creating and incubating athletes at the grassroots level.
He’s creating manuals for the sport that will serve as guidelines for training, exercise, and psychological preparation that athletes need.
In many ways, Kabir Gupta is still just getting started. He dreams of one day representing India in the Olympics. But his vision doesn’t end with his own ascent. “If my journey ends with me alone reaching the summit, it’s incomplete. True success is pulling others up as you climb.”
Whether it's at the top of a bouldering route or leading a movement for access and equity, Kabir is determined to leave every wall better than he found it.
