India dream to host 2036 Olympics: How hosts are selected, competitors, and ongoing preparations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his ambitions crystal clear when from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 78th Independence Day he declared once again that “it is the dream” of the country to host the 2036 Olympics. “We are making preparations for that,” PM Modi added.

The first time he spoke about this dream and India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics was last October during the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Annual Session in Mumbai.

“India is very excited to organise an Olympics. India will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organise the 2036 Olympics. It’s a dream of 140 crore Indians. With the support of IOC, we would want to fulfil this dream," he had said.

For the unversed. India have already initiated the process to bid for the hosting rights of the 2036 Summer Games. In a press release shared on 22 July 2024, the Sports Ministry informed that the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of India, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), has started the dialogue process with the Future Host Commission (FHC). This is the first step towards bidding for hosting rights.

But are India ready for the Olympics and what is the full process of bidding to host a Summer Games?

We explain the process of bidding and winning the hosting rights for an Olympics, take a look at the infrastructure that India have and other possible contenders for the 2036 Games.

Process to elect Olympic hosts

The process of electing an Olympic host has three major components before the country is picked by the IOC members. The first step is Informal Exchange where the NOC of a country initiates the dialogue process with the global organising body, IOC.

India have already started the informal exchange.

The second step is: Continous Dialogue

If NOC and IOC engage in positive talks during the Informal Exchange then the country can decide to enter Continous Dialogue. It’s a non-committal process with the IOC, however, the NOC will be referred to as an Interested Party after entering this stage.

“This dialogue is flexible and does not require any financial commitment, written submission or other legal or financial guarantees. The IOC conducts a feasibility study to assess the state of progress of a project, help the Interested Party make improvements, and assist the IOC Executive Board(EB) with its strategic long-term outlook and decision-making,” the Olympics website says explaining the continuous dialogue.

“The IOC commissions an independent report by a third-party specialist organisation about the human rights situation in each Preferred Host region, insofar as this relates to the Games organisation. This report is then shared with the relevant Future Host Commission.”

After this comes the third step: Targetted Dialogue

If the feasibility study yields positive results and the Future Host Commission deems a project to be a strategic fit for the Olympic Movement, the Commission may recommend that the Executive Board initiate a Targetted Dialogue for a specific edition and year of the Games. Should the Executive Board agree, it will open a Targetted Dialogue and invite one or more parties as Preferred Hosts to participate in this next phase, which will be supervised by the Future Host Commission.

The Targeted Dialogue involves an in-depth examination of one or more projects. This stage includes extensive consultations, such as with International Sports Federations, and the IOC commissions independent reports on crucial aspects like venue costs, public opinion, and potential environmental impact.

Each Preferred Host is required to complete the Future Host Questionnaire and provide several guarantees to support its proposal.

At the conclusion of the Targeted Dialogue, the Executive Board may propose one or more Preferred Hosts for election by the IOC Session. However, this is not the only possible outcome — if the timing is not ideal or conditions for election are not met, the Commission may suggest that the Preferred Host(s) return to Continuous Dialogue. Additionally, opening a Targetted Dialogue does not exclude other Interested Parties. They may continue collaborating with the IOC on their Olympic projects with the aim of hosting a future Olympic Games or another Olympic event.

The final step is: Host Elections

If the Executive Board initiates an election, the Preferred Host(s) will be invited to a meeting where they will present their project and engage in discussions with all IOC Members. They will then deliver a final presentation to the IOC Session, after which the IOC Members will vote by secret ballot. If selected, the Host will immediately sign the Olympic Host Contract with the IOC.

As far as the timeline is concerned we need to note that the 2028 Olympics host Los Angeles was announced years in advance in 2017. This means we can have the 2036 Olympics hosts declared by next year at the 2025 IOC Session, but we may be made to wait for longer.

Major contenders for 2036 Olympics hosting rights

IOC President Thomas Bach has already said that the interest in the 2036 Olympics has so far attracted cities in the double digits.

We know for a fact that Egypt will bid for the hosting rights of the 2036 and 2040 Summer Olympics. This was confirmed by Mustapha Berra, the head of the African National Olympic Committee Association (ANOCA), last Sunday.

Egypt has invested billions of dollars in constructing facilities, stadiums, and sports complexes in recent years as part of its modernization efforts.

The Egypt International Olympic City complex, located in the new administrative capital being developed east of Cairo since 2015, is set to feature a national stadium with a capacity of 93,900 and 21 additional sports facilities.

“Egypt will bid for 2036 and 2040,” Mustapha Berraf, head of ANOCA told a press conference on the day of the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

Also, Indonesia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are all interested as per reports.

Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup 2022 and can make a strong case, while Saudi Arabia has also been investing a lot of money in sports.

Does India have the infrastructure?

Gujarat is seen as a possible destination if India win the hosting rights for the 2036 Olympics. As per reports, the Gujarat state government has earmarked a mega Rs 6,000 crore project to build six sports complexes around the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The entire Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in Motera will be spread over an area of 350 acres,

The Gujarat government has formed a separate company by the name of Gujarat Olympic Planning and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd to look after the construction work and the whole infrastructure is expected to be ready by 2030.