India’s 2036 Olympics bid enters key phase as IOC revamps host selection process

India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games entered a new phase on Wednesday after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved changes to its host selection process, setting a timeline that will see the eventual host chosen in mid-2029.

At the IOC’s 146th Session in Lausanne, members approved the introduction of a new “Strategic Dialogue” stage between the existing Continuous Dialogue and Targetted Dialogue phases. The move is aimed at making the selection process more transparent while requiring prospective hosts to provide stronger financial and operational assurances earlier in the bidding cycle.

For India, which formally entered the race for the 2036 Games after submitting its Letter of Intent in 2024, the decision provides greater clarity on the road ahead but also adds another layer of scrutiny before a host is selected.

Under the revised process, nations currently engaged in Continuous Dialogue with the IOC will be assessed over the next year before a shortlist of interested parties is drawn up in March 2027. Those selected will then move into the Strategic Dialogue stage, where they must submit responses to the Future Host Questionnaire and provide core financial guarantees.

Future Host Commission chair Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said the additional phase was introduced following feedback from both IOC members and potential host nations.

“Potential hosts wanted greater clarity. All stakeholders wanted greater transparency,” she said, while outlining the updated framework.

CRUCIAL YEARS AHEAD

The Strategic Dialogue phase is expected to become a critical checkpoint in the race for the 2036 Olympics. Candidate cities will be evaluated on financial commitments, cost-control measures, governance structures and their ability to deliver venues and infrastructure within prescribed timelines.

The IOC will also conduct site visits before deciding which bids advance to the final stage of the process.

India is widely regarded as one of the leading contenders for the 2036 Games, with Ahmedabad emerging as the centrepiece of its proposal. However, the country’s bid is expected to face stiff competition, particularly from Qatar, while Turkey and South Africa are also exploring campaigns for the Games.

The final Targetted Dialogue phase will begin in 2028, with preferred hosts required to submit a complete set of legal and financial guarantees before the IOC takes its final call.

HOST TO BE DECIDED IN 2029

According to the timeline presented at the IOC Session, the Future Host Commission will submit its recommendations after the completion of the Targetted Dialogue process. The IOC Executive Board will then identify preferred hosts, whose names will be put forward for election at the IOC Session in mid-2029.

The decision effectively means that India’s Olympic ambitions will be judged over the next three years before a final verdict is delivered.

The host selection process had been paused last year after IOC president Kirsty Coventry called for broader consultations with member nations and prospective hosts. The addition of the Strategic Dialogue stage is intended to address those concerns while ensuring that only bids with strong financial backing and realistic delivery plans progress to the final stages.

For India, the approval of the new framework marks the beginning of what could be the most important phase of its pursuit of hosting the Olympic Games for the first time.

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