IOA says proposed Games would use sport to expand participation, create opportunities for young people and strengthen India’s engagement with the Olympic Movement
New Delhi, Oct 2026 : India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games has entered another important phase, with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) unveiling its “Rising Together” vision and welcoming the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) announcement of the countries and cities participating in the future host selection process.
India’s proposal is centred on Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and has been developed through continued engagement with the IOC. The IOA said the vision is aimed at aligning India’s sporting ambitions with the Olympic Movement’s broader objective of reaching new generations, communities and audiences.
India is among seven interested parties currently in the IOC’s Continuous Dialogue process for the 2036 Games, alongside Germany, Hungary, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, South Africa and Türkiye.
The IOA said “Rising Together” is intended to position the Games as more than a sporting event, with the proposed Olympics and Paralympics serving as a catalyst for a wider transformation of sport across India.
A central element of the vision is increasing participation in sport, particularly among young people. According to the IOA, hosting the Games could encourage healthier and more active communities while giving sport a larger role in education, employment and social development.
The association also sees the proposed Games as an opportunity for the Olympic Movement to engage with India’s young and digitally connected population. It said hosting the event could bring new athletes, audiences and partners into the Olympic family while potentially connecting the Games with more than a billion people.
IOA President P. T. Usha said the organisation was honoured by the IOC’s recognition of India’s aspirations and described “Rising Together” as a commitment to bringing together the country’s athletes, people and cities behind a shared Olympic vision.
“We are deeply honoured by the IOC’s recognition of India’s vision and aspirations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036,” Usha said.
She added that India wanted to create a Games that reflected the confidence and diversity of a young country while contributing to the Olympic and Paralympic movements’ efforts to reach new generations and communities.
“If we rise together—with our athletes, our people, our cities and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements—the possibilities are limitless,” Usha said.
The IOA said the proposed Games could also provide an opportunity to showcase India’s cultural diversity and the country’s transformation through sport.
Union Minister for Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya said India’s 2036 ambition was rooted in the belief that sport could play a wider role in shaping the country’s future.
“Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games would inspire millions of young Indians to participate in sport, strengthen healthier and more active communities, and create new opportunities for our youth across education, employment and social development,” Mandaviya said.
He said bringing the Games to India could accelerate a sporting transformation reaching different sections of society while creating a new chapter for the Olympic Movement in one of the world’s most dynamic nations.
India submitted its Expression of Interest to host the 2036 Games in 2024, and the proposal has since been developed through discussions with the IOC. The latest announcement places India in the next stage of the IOC’s dialogue-based selection process.
The next major step for India will come later this month, when the country is expected to make its first presentation of its 2036 ambition to the IOC Future Host Commission. The presentation will provide India an opportunity to outline its proposed Games concept and explain how hosting the Olympics and Paralympics could support its wider sporting and social objectives.
The IOC’s process is expected to continue through further dialogue and assessment before a final host is selected. India’s bid will therefore move into a more detailed phase as it develops its proposal around Ahmedabad and the broader “Rising Together” vision.
For the IOA, however, the 2036 ambition extends beyond securing the right to host the Games. The organisation has framed the proposal as an opportunity to increase sporting participation, strengthen pathways for young athletes and use the Olympic and Paralympic movements to create a wider culture of sport across India.
