India has big sporting dreams, and they have dates attached. In 2030, Ahmedabad hosts the centenary Commonwealth Games. Beyond that sits the biggest ambition of all: India’s 2036 Olympics bid. The question is no longer whether India can build stadiums. It is whether India has built everything else that turns a mega-event into a lasting sporting nation.

What India is preparing to host

Ahmedabad was formally awarded the 2030 Commonwealth Games by delegates from 74 Commonwealth nations at the General Assembly in Glasgow, making it the second time India hosts the event after New Delhi in 2010. The 2030 edition is expected to feature 15 to 17 sports. 

The Olympics are a longer road. India is currently in the Continuous Dialogue stage of the IOC’s host selection process, and a final decision on the 2036 host is not expected before 2029. The Ahmedabad plan, which includes developing the twin cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, has been reported with a proposed budget of ₹34,700 crore to ₹64,000 crore. 

Can India win at home?

Hosting is one thing. Winning is another. At the Commonwealth level, India is already competitive: at Glasgow 2026, a contingent of 122 athletes won 39 medals (13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze) to finish fourth. At the Asian Games in Japan the same year, India won 85 medals, including 21 golds. 

The Olympics are a different level. At Paris 2024, India won six medals, with no gold. That gap between continental success and Olympic podiums is the clearest measure of how far the ecosystem still has to go. A home Olympics without a serious medal push would be a world-class party where the hosts mostly watch.

Pride or plan?

There is nothing wrong with national pride. Hosting the world’s biggest sporting events puts a country on the map, attracts investment and inspires a generation. But pride on its own is an expensive goal.

The real test of a mega-event is what it leaves behind: venues that stay busy after the closing ceremony, coaches who keep working, leagues that keep running, and young athletes who keep training. India’s own experience of 2010 is a reminder that building for a fortnight is easier than building for a decade.

The ecosystem gap

In our view, the gap is not in ambition or talent. It is in the system underneath them.

Many national federations are still finding their feet under the new National Sports Governance Act, which is meant to bring transparency and accountability, but whose structures are only just taking shape. Professional leagues outside cricket are still searching for stable business models. And the pipeline that turns talented children into Olympic finalists, from school sport and grassroots coaching to sports science, nutrition and competition exposure, remains uneven across states and sports.

Stadiums can be built in a few years. A medal-winning system takes a generation. If 2036 is the goal, the work that matters most has to start now.

What it means for brands and sportspreneurs

Here is the part that rarely gets discussed: every gap in the ecosystem is also a business opportunity.

A decade of mega-events creates demand far beyond construction. Venues will need technology for ticketing, security and fan experience. Broadcasters and platforms will need production, data and content. Athletes will need performance analytics, sports science, recovery and management. Fans will need travel, hospitality and merchandise. And federations will need the commercial skills that turn sports into businesses.

For brands, the smartest window may be before the spotlight arrives. Backing Olympic sports and athletes today costs a fraction of what it will cost when the whole world is watching, and the brands that build those relationships early will own the stories later. For sportspreneurs, the road to 2036 is a decade-long market, and the builders who solve the ecosystem’s problems will grow with it.

The question that matters

So here is the question worth asking: will India use 2030 and its 2036 ambition to build a lasting sporting system, or just a spectacular moment? The answer will decide whether hosting the Games is a show of pride, or the start of something much bigger.

At The Sports Columnist, we cover the deals, the money and the decisions behind sport. Every game has a second scoreboard, and India’s Olympic dream may be the biggest one of all.

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