India has formally incorporated the Amdavad 2030 Commonwealth Games Organisation on 31 August 2026 to prepare Ahmedabad for the centenary 2030 Commonwealth Games. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi will chair the body, with senior IAS officer M Thennarasan appointed as Chief Executive Officer. The Games, planned for October 2030, will bring the event back to India for the first time since Delhi 2010.
What Is the Amdavad 2030 Commonwealth Games Organisation?
The Amdavad 2030 Commonwealth Games Organisation is the special purpose company created to plan and deliver the 2030 Games. The Gujarat government set it up through a resolution dated 12 August 2026 and registered it as a not for profit company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013. Its registered office is at the Sports Authority of Gujarat building in Gandhinagar, under the Registrar of Companies, Ahmedabad.
This legal form is a deliberate choice. A Section 8 company can receive government grants and private funds but cannot pay dividends, so all money must be used for the Games. The model follows the 2006 Melbourne Games and was suggested for India after the Delhi 2010 experience, which was run by a registered society and faced severe criticism over costs and management. The new company also has a clear sunset clause. It will be dissolved or merged by 31 March 2032, about one and a half years after the Games, so that pending bills, audit objections and legal cases are closed in a fixed time.
The company held its first board meeting in late September 2026 and will have 12 to 15 directors. It brings together the Centre, the Gujarat government, the sports movement and independent voices on one board. The next task is to hire key executives to build full time teams for venues, transport, accommodation, security and broadcast planning.
Who Will Lead the Ahmedabad 2030 Games?
The Organising Company will be chaired by Harsh Sanghavi, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat and the state minister for sports, youth services and culture. As chair, he links the Games to state level decisions on land, venues, police, transport and city services in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. His office informed the Gujarat assembly in September 2026 that the state had signed the Host Collaboration Agreement and paid the host fee.
Day to day work will be headed by Chief Executive Officer M Thennarasan, a 2000 batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre. Thennarasan earlier served as Municipal Commissioner of both Ahmedabad and Surat and as Principal Secretary for Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities, and later for Urban Development and Urban Housing. That mix of city administration and sports management is directly relevant to building a Games village, upgrading stadiums and coordinating with municipal bodies.
Two vice chairpersons balance Centre and sports federation interests. Hari Ranjan Rao is the Union Sports Secretary, the senior civil servant in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in New Delhi. P T Usha is the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and heads the Commonwealth Games Association of India. IOA is India’s national Olympic body, formed in 1927 and headquartered in New Delhi, and Usha took charge as its first woman president in December 2022 after a celebrated track career.
Athletes have direct seats on the board. Former India cricket captain Rahul Dravid and former world No. 1 shuttler Saina Nehwal will serve as athlete representatives. Dravid, often called The Wall for his defence in Test cricket, later coached India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title. Nehwal won bronze at the London 2012 Olympics, India’s first Olympic medal in badminton, and won singles gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2018. Lt Gen Harpal Singh represents the Commonwealth Games Association of India on the board, while reports indicate private sector names linked to major sports franchises have also been recommended.
What Is the Commonwealth Games and How Did Ahmedabad Win 2030 Hosting Rights?
The Commonwealth Games is an international multi sport event for athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary group of mostly former British colonies, along with their territories. The first edition, then called the British Empire Games, was held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930 with 11 teams and about 400 athletes in six sports. The event takes place every four years, except for breaks in 1942 and 1946 during the Second World War, and it received its present name at Edmonton 1978.
The Games are controlled by Commonwealth Sport, earlier called the Commonwealth Games Federation. Commonwealth Sport is a non profit body headquartered in London and formed in 1932 as the British Empire Games Federation. It has 74 member nations and territories, from large countries such as India and Australia to small island teams such as Niue. More than 60 percent of Commonwealth citizens are under 30, which gives the event a strong youth focus.
Ahmedabad, officially rendered as Amdavad for the bid, was confirmed as the 2030 host at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow on 26 November 2025. Delegates ratified the recommendation of the evaluation committee, choosing Ahmedabad over Abuja in Nigeria after five nations had shown initial interest. Glasgow 2026 handed over the Games flag to the Indian delegation at its closing ceremony, and the flag was presented to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar in August 2026 to mark the start of the Ahmedabad cycle.
The 2030 edition is the centenary Games, 100 years after Hamilton 1930. Ahmedabad plans to host 15 to 17 sports in October 2030, a larger programme than the trimmed 10 sport Glasgow 2026 edition. Early confirmed core disciplines include athletics, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting and boxing alongside para sport events, with a final list to be shaped with international federations. Ahmedabad can also propose up to two additional or traditional sports.
How Does Ahmedabad 2030 Differ From Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2026?
India’s only previous hosting was Delhi 2010, held from 3 to 14 October 2010 with 71 teams. India fielded its largest contingent and won 101 medals, including 38 gold, 27 silver and 36 bronze, to finish second behind Australia. That remains India’s best medal tally at any Commonwealth Games. Saina Nehwal’s badminton singles gold on the final day lifted India past England, which had 37 gold medals, into second place.
Delhi 2010 also left a difficult administrative legacy. Its organising committee was registered as a society and was headed by then IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi. The event faced heavy criticism over delays, cost overruns and corruption allegations. The Comptroller and Auditor General later favoured a company model with clearer audit trails, which is why Ahmedabad uses a Section 8 company.
Glasgow 2026 sits at the other end of the scale. After the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as 2026 host over costs, Glasgow stepped in with a lighter model. The 23rd Games, held from 23 July to 2 August 2026, feature only 10 sports across four venues and house athletes in hotels rather than a new village. Nine Birmingham 2022 sports that gave India 25 medals, including wrestling, hockey, badminton, table tennis and cricket, were dropped for Glasgow.
| Edition | Scale and Model | India Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi 2010 | 17 sports, 71 teams, large new village and stadiums, society led committee | 101 medals (38 gold), ranked 2nd, best ever tally |
| Glasgow 2026 | 10 sports, about 3,000 athletes, 4 venues, hotel stay, low cost reset model | Reduced medal chances as wrestling, shooting, hockey and badminton are out |
| Ahmedabad 2030 | Planned 15 to 17 sports, October 2030, Section 8 company with sunset clause | Aims to restore full programme and home advantage |
The Commonwealth Games differ from the Olympic Games and the Asian Games in eligibility. The Olympics are open to all 200 plus national Olympic committees in the world. The Asian Games are open to the 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia. The Commonwealth Games are open only to the 74 Commonwealth nations and territories, so competition is narrower but historic links and shared sporting traditions give it a distinct identity.
What Ahmedabad 2030 Will Cost and Why It Matters for India
Money for Ahmedabad 2030 comes in two streams. Games operations cover staffing, ceremonies, timing, accommodation and venue overlays. City infrastructure covers roads, metro links, water, power and long term housing that will serve Ahmedabad after 2030 and is not counted as Games spending.
Gujarat told the state assembly in September 2026 that ₹301 crore has been allocated so far. This includes ₹200 crore for the host fee under the Host Collaboration Agreement, ₹100 crore under the revenue head in the past year and a token ₹1 crore under the capital head. These early funds pay for the company, bid obligations and initial venue work. Overall operating cost is estimated at ₹3,000 crore to ₹5,000 crore, with the Union Sports Ministry committing grant in aid of ₹2,000 crore to be released in stages on demand from Gujarat.
For India, the stakes go beyond medals. It is only the second Commonwealth Games in India and the first mega multi sport event led from Ahmedabad, a city already developing the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave and wider Sabarmati riverfront sports belt. A well run centenary edition would test India’s ability to deliver complex events on time, build para sport inclusion at scale and keep a large roster of Indian strength sports such as wrestling, shooting, boxing and badminton in the programme. It would also strengthen the country’s case for even larger future bids by showing clean governance, full stadiums and reliable city systems.
Key Takeaways
- The Amdavad 2030 Commonwealth Games Organisation was incorporated on 31 August 2026 as a Section 8 not for profit company to deliver the Games.
- Harsh Sanghavi will chair the Organising Company while M Thennarasan will serve as Chief Executive Officer.
- Hari Ranjan Rao and IOA president P T Usha will serve as vice chairpersons of the Ahmedabad 2030 body.
- Former cricket captain Rahul Dravid and London 2012 bronze medallist Saina Nehwal will serve as athlete representatives on the board.
- Ahmedabad will host the centenary 2030 Commonwealth Games in October 2030 with 15 to 17 sports, 100 years after the first Games in Hamilton in 1930.
