India has officially won the bid to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, with Ahmedabad (Amdavad) ratified as the host city at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow. This will be only the second time India stages the Games, after New Delhi 2010, and marks the 100th anniversary of the first edition held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.​

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hailed the decision as a “proud moment for Bharat”, framing the successful bid as a direct outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-term push for world-class infrastructure and sporting excellence. He underlined that India will be welcoming the Commonwealth to a rapidly modernising Gujarat, where sport is increasingly being used as a lever for diplomacy, development and national branding.​

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated citizens and the broader sporting ecosystem, stressing that India’s “collective commitment and spirit of sportsmanship” has firmly placed the country on the global sporting map. He linked the Games to the civilisational ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, signalling that India intends to use the centenary edition as a platform for inclusive, value-driven international engagement.​

The messaging from the political leadership goes beyond celebration and is designed to reinforce India’s image as a reliable big-event host with the capacity to deliver complex, multi-sport competitions. It also dovetails with Ahmedabad’s longer-term ambition to bid for the 2036 Olympic Games, positioning the 2030 Commonwealth Games as both a proving ground and a showcase.​

Commonwealth Sport confirmed that India presented a “compelling vision” centred on Amdavad, designed to build on the organisational and commercial foundations laid by Glasgow 2026. The concept emphasises compact planning, upgraded transport links and a mix of existing and new venues, aiming to balance cost control with visible legacy.​

A signature element is the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, anchored by the Narendra Modi Stadium, which already boasts a six-figure capacity and will be complemented by an aquatics centre, football stadium, multiple indoor arenas and an athletes’ village for around 3,000 competitors. The wider Ahmedabad–Gandhinagar–Ekta Nagar corridor is being positioned as an integrated sports and events cluster, capable of hosting parallel international tournaments before and after 2030.​

The ratification in Glasgow was followed by a cultural performance featuring Garba dancers and Indian dhol drummers, offering delegates a curated glimpse of Gujarat’s heritage and the festive atmosphere envisaged for 2030. This was a deliberate soft-power signal that the Games will blend elite competition with a strong cultural and tourism push, using Gujarat as an entry point to “experience India”.​

Commonwealth Sport President Dr Donald Rukare described Amdavad 2030 as the beginning of a “new golden era” for the movement, coming on the back of a strategic “Games reset” and leading into a more flexible hosting model. He highlighted India’s scale, youth demographics, cultural depth and sporting passion as key assets, and noted parallel interest from other nations to host the 2034 edition and beyond, suggesting renewed institutional confidence in the Games’ future.​

For the centenary edition, Commonwealth Sport has indicated that Amdavad 2030 will feature a core programme of roughly 15–17 sports, with final confirmation expected in 2026. Athletics and para athletics, swimming and para swimming, table tennis and para table tennis, bowls and para bowls, weightlifting and para powerlifting, artistic gymnastics, netball and boxing are already locked in, reflecting a balance between tradition, para sport integration and broadcast appeal.​

Under the agreed framework, India can also propose up to two new or traditional sports, giving scope to push disciplines with strong domestic resonance such as cricket T20 or indigenous games. The Games will arrive eight years after Birmingham 2022, where Australia topped the medals table ahead of England, Canada, India and New Zealand, providing a clear benchmark for India’s high-performance ambitions on home soil.​

Hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games gives India a fixed, high-visibility deadline to consolidate and upgrade urban, transport and digital infrastructure in and around Ahmedabad.

The projects tied to the Games are expected to accelerate metro expansion, road connectivity, accommodation capacity and venue-adjacent urban renewal, with long-term benefits for residents as well as future event bids.​

From a sporting systems perspective, the event is likely to reinforce investment in talent identification, coaching pathways and high-performance centres across Olympic and Commonwealth disciplines.

The IOA and Commonwealth Games Association of India, led by PT Usha, have framed the 2030 edition as both a centenary celebration and a foundation stone for the next hundred years of Commonwealth sport, with a strong emphasis on youth engagement, inclusion and community legacy.​

Based On ANI Report