India’s 2036 Olympics bid enters crucial phase as 7 countries remain in race
Ahmedabad at centre of India’s bid as IOC moves towards next stage of host-selection process
By Sukhminder Bhangoo
New Delhi, October 8, 2026: India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games has entered a crucial stage, with the country among seven nations currently in discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over hosting rights.
The other countries in the race are Germany, Hungary, Qatar, South Africa, South Korea and Türkiye. The IOC is following a revised host-selection process, under which interested parties first engage in dialogue with the Future Host Commission before some are taken forward to a more detailed stage.
For India, Ahmedabad is at the centre of the proposed Games project. If selected, India would host the Summer Olympics for the first time.
India formally entered the race in 2024, when the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) submitted its Expression of Interest for the 2036 Games.
Ahmedabad at the centre of India’s proposal
The western Indian city has emerged as the focal point of India’s Olympic plans. The country is also seeking to demonstrate its ability to stage major multi-sport events through its interest in hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad and the 2038 Asian Games.
India’s Olympic proposal will have to go beyond plans for sporting venues. The IOC’s approach places considerable emphasis on the athlete experience, sustainability, infrastructure, financing, public and political support and the long-term legacy of the Games.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry has stressed that athletes must remain at the centre of future Games projects, with the quality of the athlete experience forming a key consideration in the host-selection process.
Strong competition for 2036
India faces competition from countries with substantial experience of hosting major sporting events.
Germany is represented by Munich, which previously hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics. South Korea has hosted the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. South Africa staged the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Türkiye’s Istanbul has made several previous attempts to secure the Olympics, while Hungary has also previously pursued a Summer Games bid.
India, meanwhile, is seeking to use its growing experience in hosting international sporting events, along with increased public and private investment in sport, to strengthen its case.
Indian Olympic Association CEO Raghuram Iyer told Reuters that India plans to organise dozens of international sporting events across multiple cities by 2028 as part of efforts to demonstrate its capacity to host major competitions.
Decision expected in 2029
The 2036 host-selection process is being conducted under rules that differ from the traditional Olympic bidding model. The IOC is expected to narrow the field during the dialogue process, with a shortlist anticipated by March 2027.
The process is then expected to move towards a Strategic Dialogue stage, with preferred hosts likely to be identified in 2028. The final host is expected to be elected in 2029.
The deadline for additional interested parties to enter the current process is October 31, 2026, although the IOC has indicated that new candidates are unlikely to emerge at this late stage.
For India, the coming stages will determine whether its Olympic ambition progresses from an expression of interest to a more detailed and competitive host proposal.
Hosting the 2036 Games would make India an Olympic host for the first time and could have implications well beyond the event itself, particularly for sports infrastructure, athlete development and the country’s wider sporting ecosystem.
For now, however, India remains one of seven interested countries, with several more stages of IOC assessment still to come before a host is chosen.