India officially declared its interest in hosting the 2036 Olympic Games in 2023, with New Delhi as the candidate city, and has now also joined the race to stage the 2030 Commonwealth Games. In parallel, the international contest for the Olympics appears to be led by Doha, which will already host the 2030 Asian Games and has most of the required infrastructure in place. Alongside Qatar, countries such as Turkey, Germany, Egypt, Indonesia and Mexico have also expressed interest, all at different stages of preparation and with strategies that, in some cases, start from a stronger base than India’s.

New Delhi would rely on a legacy of sports facilities built for the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982 and the 2010 Commonwealth Games. These include the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (opened in 1982 and renovated in 2010), the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex (1982) and the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium (renovated in 2010). However, these venues are now more than a decade old and would require substantial investment to meet the standards demanded by the International Olympic Committee -IOC-. To date, India has not presented a detailed financial plan or publicly secured the funds needed for such modernization.

New Delhi’s track record in hosting major events

The last large-scale multi-sport event staged in the Indian capital was the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Since then, New Delhi has hosted international competitions such as the Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2006, 2018 and 2023, the Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2010, and the Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup in 2013. These events, however, remain smaller in scale compared with an Olympic cycle. In 2025, the city will welcome the World Para Athletics Championships, a useful test for its facilities, though far from the magnitude of the Olympics.

The experience of hosting Formula 1 between 2011 and 2013 at the Buddh International Circuit also highlights India’s administrative and fiscal challenges. Tax disputes that led to the cancellation of the Grand Prix serve as a reminder of the regulatory reforms needed to provide long-term stability for mega sporting events.

Doha in the lead

Doha, with its official bid, has pulled ahead by presenting a project claiming 95% of the necessary infrastructure is already built, backed by the experience of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the confirmed 2030 Asian Games. This positions it at the forefront of the race for 2036.

Other bids are advancing in parallel. Turkey is relying on Istanbul, which will host the 2027 European Games as part of a broader strategy to demonstrate multi-sport capability. Germany, through its National Olympic Committee -DOSB-, is running a national consultation process to shape its bid. Indonesia has linked its plans to the development of its new capital Nusantara, while Egypt and Mexico have also expressed intentions to compete. In this landscape, India appears as an aspirant but lags behind in planning and has yet to secure the necessary financial guarantees.

Logistics, climate and socio-economic factors

New Delhi benefits from strong air connectivity, with Indira Gandhi International Airport ranked among the ten busiest in the world, soon to be complemented by the new Noida airport, which will expand the region’s capacity. However, severe air pollution episodes in autumn and extreme heat in certain months would demand strict health and safety protocols and careful scheduling of competitions.

From a socio-economic perspective, the Delhi metropolitan region has a population of more than 30 million, making it one of the most populous urban areas in the world. Official indicators show multidimensional poverty at around 3.4%, much lower than the national average of 15%. Yet in absolute terms, millions remain vulnerable. This contrast underscores the challenge of balancing financial investment in sports infrastructure with the broader social priorities of a rapidly growing metropolis.