Can India Afford the Olympics? The ₹64,000-Crore Reality Behind the 2036 Ahmedabad Bid

India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games is being presented as a national sporting ambition, but behind the “Rising Together” slogan lies a far bigger question: can India build, finance and monetise an Olympics while ensuring the Games leave behind useful infrastructure rather than expensive white elephants?

India will present its project to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission later this month, with Ahmedabad at the centre of the proposal. India is among seven countries currently in the race, alongside Qatar, Germany, Hungary, South Africa, South Korea and Türkiye. The IOC is expected to shortlist candidates in March 2027, with the final host to be elected in 2029.

The financial opportunity is significant, but an Olympic Games does not automatically mean a financial windfall. Revenue can come from IOC contributions, sponsorships, ticketing, hospitality, licensing, merchandise and tourism. Paris 2024’s organising committee reported about €4.49 billion in revenue against €4.42 billion in expenditure, showing that the Games themselves can be organised close to break-even.

But that is only the organising committee’s balance sheet. The host country has to consider the much larger cost of transport, security, accommodation, venues and urban infrastructure. France’s Court of Auditors estimated public spending connected to Paris 2024 at about €6.65 billion, including organisational and infrastructure expenditure.

India’s own proposed costs underline the challenge. Earlier plans put the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in Ahmedabad at around ₹6,000 crore, while broader estimates have placed the combined organising and infrastructure requirement at roughly ₹35,000 crore to ₹64,000 crore, depending on what is included.

India also does not have an Olympic-ready sports ecosystem. Existing facilities can form part of the plan, but substantial construction and upgrades will be required. That creates a major risk: stadiums built for the Games could struggle to justify their cost once the Olympic crowds disappear.

The bigger economic prize, therefore, is the legacy.

India could use the Olympic cycle to attract tourists and global investment, expand hospitality and aviation, develop sports manufacturing and create a stronger international events industry. NITI Aayog has identified the sporting cycle leading up to 2036 as an opportunity to expand India’s sports-equipment manufacturing and exports.

The Olympics could also become a reputation-building exercise. Successfully staging thousands of athletes, officials, broadcasters and spectators would demonstrate India’s ability to deliver an extraordinarily complex global event. But the country has to overcome the shadow of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, while improving governance and anti-doping systems.

India also has an important connection within the Olympic Movement through Nita Ambani, who is an IOC member and was unanimously re-elected for a second term in 2024. She played a prominent role in bringing the IOC Session to Mumbai in 2023 and has helped strengthen India’s international sporting engagement. Her position, however, does not guarantee India votes in the host selection.

The competition is serious. Qatar can point to its successful hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and other major events. Germany and South Korea bring Olympic-hosting experience, while South Africa is seeking to bring the Games to Africa for the first time.

The IOC will ultimately judge India on venue planning, athlete experience, funding, political and public support, delivery capability and long-term legacy.

That makes the 2036 bid about much more than stadiums. India’s real opportunity is to turn Olympic spending into lasting infrastructure, jobs, tourism, manufacturing and sporting participation. If it can demonstrate that the Games will benefit Indians long after the closing ceremony, the bid becomes an economic and reputational proposition rather than simply a sporting dream.

The real question, therefore, is not whether India can afford the Olympics. It is whether India can make the Olympics worth the cost.