Despite being the world's second-most populous nation, India have only won four individual medals, none of them gold, in their Olympic history since sending their first team to the Summer Games in 1928.
Hopes for Beijing have already been badly hit by the failure for the first time in Games history of their men's hockey team, eight-times winners, even to qualify.
Khade's personal bests compare well with swimmers of his own age, though fall a couple of seconds shy of world record marks.
But his coach Nihar Ameen said: "In terms of natural talent, not only measured against others I have worked with, but virtually any swimmer in his age group that I have seen around the world, he is a prodigy."
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