India To Strengthen 2036 Olympic Bid After IOC Process Revamp

Last Updated:July 02, 2026, 20:10 IST

India plans to strengthen its 2036 Olympic Games bid after IOC approved a new selection process.

India is preparing to strengthen its campaign to host the 2036 Olympic Games after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved a revamped host selection process earlier this month.

India had submitted its letter of intent to host the 2036 Olympics in Ahmedabad in 2024. However, the selection process was paused in 2025 after new IOC president Kirsty Coventry set up a working group to review the existing system.

With the new framework now approved, the host city for the 2036 Games is expected to be announced in mid-2029. India’s bid will be led by the Indian Olympic Association in partnership with the Gujarat government.

“We cannot reach out to IOC members individually at a governmental level but there are various other channels through which we can start building our case," the PTI quoted a source as saying.

Under the revised process, the IOC has introduced a new Strategic Dialogue phase between the existing Continuous Dialogue and the final Targeted Dialogue stages. India is currently in the Continuous Dialogue phase.

Countries entering the Strategic Dialogue in 2027 will have to submit core financial guarantees, demonstrate cost-control measures and provide clear timelines for completing key infrastructure projects. The IOC’s Future Host Commission will also conduct site visits before the process moves to the Targeted Dialogue in 2028.

Following the Targeted Dialogue, the commission will submit its report to IOC members. The IOC Executive Board will then recommend preferred hosts for approval at the IOC Session in mid-2029.

India is expected to face stiff competition from Qatar, while Turkey and South Africa are also likely to bid for the 2036 Games.

New anti-doping bill soon

Meanwhile, the report said the government is expected to introduce the amended National Anti-Doping Bill during the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning on July 20.

The proposed amendments seek to criminalise the trafficking and organised supply of banned substances to athletes, with offenders facing up to five years in prison. The law will also target medical practitioners who knowingly prescribe prohibited drugs.

The public consultation on the draft amendments ended on June 18.

India has topped the World Anti-Doping Agency list of anti-doping rule violations for the past three years, which is also a major hindrance to the Olympic bid.

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