Ahmedabad 2030 Commonwealth Games: Centre Promises ₹2,000 Crore Grant to Gujarat

The Centre has committed ₹2,000 crore in financial assistance to Gujarat for hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, with the amount potentially rising to around ₹2,500 crore by 2030 after adjusting for inflation. The funding commitment signals the scale of preparations planned for the centenary edition of the multi-sport event.

The Union Sports Ministry has incorporated the provision into its revised norms under the Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) scheme. The grant will be released as and when the Gujarat government requests disbursement, with the expenditure covered under the scheme.

The ₹2,000-crore commitment is calculated at 2025 prices. According to the ministry, the amount is expected to reach approximately ₹2,500 crore by 2030 after adjustment using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures retail inflation.

The government has approved the continuation of the ANSF scheme for 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a total outlay of ₹7,386.74 crore under the 16th Finance Commission cycle. The assistance for the Commonwealth Games will be met from this allocation.

Ahmedabad secured the hosting rights last year, defeating competition from Nigeria. The 2030 edition will mark 100 years of the Commonwealth Games, first held in 1930, giving India an opportunity to stage a major international sporting event on home soil.

India is planning to include 15 to 17 sporting disciplines in the Ahmedabad Games, making the proposed event considerably larger than this year's edition in Glasgow. The 2026 Games were significantly scaled down because of financial constraints and featured just 10 disciplines, excluding popular sports such as hockey, wrestling and cricket.

The contrast between the two editions highlights India's ambition to deliver a more expansive sporting spectacle in 2030. However, the final programme and the scale of the event will depend on the plans and preparations leading up to the Games.

The central grant is expected to provide Gujarat with substantial financial backing as it prepares for the event, while the proposed expansion of sporting disciplines could offer more athletes opportunities to compete on a major international stage.