Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar unveil ambitious Rs 64000 crore plan for 2036 Olympics bid: Report

Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar have reportedly laid out a grand vision for hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics, with a financial blueprint estimating costs between Rs 34,700 crore and Rs 64,000 crore. India has been actively working towards securing the 2036 Olympics, with Ahmedabad emerging as the frontrunner city.

According to the Times of India, the detailed plan, titled ‘Review Meeting – Preparedness towards Amdavad 2036,’ was presented in Gujarat’s capital city, Gandhinagar, this week during a high-level coordination meeting for India’s Olympic bid.

What’s in the proposal?

The proposed budget is strategically divided into two segments: Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) Budget, which will cover expenses related to event operations such as competitions, workforce, accommodation, transportation, and technology.

Non-OCOG Budget, which is planned to be allocated for capital investments in sports and non-sports venues, including infrastructure upgrades and new facilities.

The estimated OCOG budget for Ahmedabad is projected to range between Rs 18,600 crore and Rs 41,100 crore. Notably, Ahmedabad’s maximum projected OCOG budget surpasses that of Paris 2024, highlighting the scale of ambition for hosting the Games.

• London 2012: Rs 22,449 crore
• Rio 2016: Rs 16,461 crore
• Tokyo 2020: Rs 21,425 crore
• Paris 2024: Rs 32,765 crore

The non-OCOG budget, which covers long-term infrastructure development, is estimated between Rs 16,100 crore and Rs 22,900 crore. This budget will reportedly be utilised for upgrading existing venues, constructing new sports complexes, and building temporary event structures. Here’s a comparisons with previous Olympic Games:

• London 2012: Rs 71,073 crore
• Rio 2016: Rs 49,956 crore
• Tokyo 2020: Rs 27,046 crore
• Paris 2024: Rs 21,343 crore

According to the document, the plan proposes that 30 percent of the Olympic sports will use existing venues and 60 percent will be held in newly planned sports infrastructure. Meanwhile, 10 percent will require temporary facilities.

India’s desire to host 2036 Olympics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi first expressed India’s desire to host the 2036 Olympics in October 2023 during the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session held in Mumbai. Addressing the IOC members, Modi emphasised India’s readiness and commitment to bringing the Olympic Games to the country for the first time.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has already submitted the ’expression of interest’ to the IOC’s Future Host Commission. The IOC is expected to finalise the host city by 2026 or 2027, following an assessment of all bids.

IOC’s newly-elected president Kirsty Coventry recently said about India’s bid, “At the end of the day there is a process in place and that process is ongoing and that will remain, as far as I know, for the next few months.”