The SFI was formed by the merger of the National Swimming Association and the Indian Swimming Federation in 1948. Prior to the merger, the NSA and ISF had been engaged in disputes. While the Calcutta-based NSA received affiliation from FINA in 1932–33, the ISF had the support of the Indian Olympic Association. The Union Government intervened to resolve the dispute by merging the two entities to form the SFI.[7][8]
In July 2017, FINA presented a certificate to SFI CEO Virendra Nanavati during the 17th FINA World Championship in honour of his services to the discipline.[9]