India wants to host the Olympic Games in 2036. Is the country ready?

India
has
set
its
sights
on
hosting
the
world’s
grandest
sporting
spectacle
—
the
Olympics.

This
comes
hot
on
the
heels
of
the
country
organizing
two
major
global
events
in
2023
—
the
Group
of
20
summit
of
world
leaders
and
Business
20
meetings
of
the
top
global
industry
titans.

In
October,
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
announced
that

India
plans
to
host
the
2036
Games,
reportedly
saying
it’s
the
country’s
“age-old
dream.”

Indonesia,
Mexico,
Turkey
and
Poland
have
also
expressed
their
interest
to
host
the
Games
in
2036.

India
is
“absolutely
ready”
to
host
the
Olympics,
Nita
Mukesh
Ambani,
founder
and
chairperson
of
Reliance
Foundation,
the
philanthropic
arm
of
Reliance
Industries,
told
CNBC’s

Tanvir
Gill
in
an
interview
in
late
October.

Reliance
Industries,
the
country’s
largest
private
sector
company,

entered
into
a
partnership
with
the
Indian
Olympic
Association
(IOA)
last
year.

While
India
wants
to
host
the
world’s
biggest
sporting
event,
past
debacles
cast
a
shadow
on
any
potential
bid.

Back
in
2010,
India
hosted
the
Commonwealth
Games,
which
were
marred
by
construction
delays,
missed
deadlines
for
New
Delhi
to
be
“Games-ready”
and
a
massive
budget
overrun.

The
Guardian
reported
at
that
time
the
cost
estimates
for
the
Commonwealth
Games
were
anywhere
between
2
billion
pounds
and
4
billion
pounds,
including
infrastructure
projects.
The
original
budget
approved
by
the
Indian
government
back
in
April
2007
was
500
million
pounds,
the
publication
said.

Separately,
the

BBC
described
the
run-up
to
the
2010
Commonwealth
Games
as
“a
huge
public
relations
disaster,”
and
said
one
month
before
the
event
that
Delhi
was
“nowhere
near
ready”
—
citing
craters
and
potholes
on
roads
and
stadiums
still
under
renovation.

In
2011,
after
the
games
concluded,
the
chairman
of
the
of
the
Commonwealth
Games
organizing
committee,
Suresh
Kalmadi,
was
arrested
for
corruption
and
financial
malpractice.

More
recently,
the
Cricket
World
Cup
this
year
in
India
also
drew
criticism.

There
were
reports
that
matches
involving
the
host
nation
saw
stadiums
fill
up
quickly,
but
the
turnout
for
games
involving
other
teams
were
feeble.

Some
fans
took
to
social
media
to
complain
about
how
tickets
were
reportedly
sold
out
online
but
footage
of
the
live
event
showed
empty
seats.
Others
complained
about

glitches
during
ticket
sales
while

British
media
highlighted
that
fans
complained
of
poor
transport
connectivity
and
a
lack
of
basic
amenities
in
stadiums.

Given
all
these,
can
India
deliver
for
the
2036
Olympics?

David
Carter,
adjunct
professor
of
sports
business
at
the
University
of
Southern
California
told
CNBC
that
corruption,
cost
overruns,
and
other
high
profile
controversies
have
become
part
and
parcel
of
most
Olympics.

Prospective
host
nations,
however,
must
be
clear
on
their
objective
for
organizing
the
Games,
so
as
to
prepare
and
mitigate
the
risks
associated
with
these
controversies,
Carter
added.

“Do
they
seek
a
return
on
their
economic
investment?
A
return
on
their
objective
—
such
as
national
branding
or
rebranding?
A
mix
of
both?”
he
asked.
“In
many
cases,
the
cost
of
hosting
is
but
one
consideration
up
against
broader
national
initiatives.”

Carter
did
not
comment
directly
on
India’s
ability
to
deliver.
The
IOA
did
not
respond
to
CNBC’s
request
for
comment.

However,
he
said
“the
capability
to
host
the
Olympics
is
as
much
a
matter
of
political
will
as
it
is
delivering
a
compelling
logistical
plan
replete
with
venues
driving
maximum
value
for
all
stakeholders.”

He
pointed
out
that
while
political
summits
and
other
global
events
provide
a
glimpse
into
a
nation’s
ability
to
host,
“doing
so
for
the
Olympics
requires
a
strong
understanding
of
the
wants
and
needs
of
broadcasters
and
sponsors,
as
well
an
acceptable
level
of
community
buy-in.”