Ahmedabad, Sep 24: Ahmedabad is moving into a new phase of sports and urban infrastructure development as the city prepares to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with preparations extending beyond competition venues to accommodation, transport, hospitality and facilities designed for long-term use.
The centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games is scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad in 2030. Commonwealth Sport has confirmed that the Games will feature between 15 and 17 sports, with athletics and para-athletics, swimming and para-swimming, table tennis and para-table tennis, bowls, weightlifting and para-powerlifting, artistic gymnastics, netball and boxing already part of the programme. Other sports under consideration include cricket T20, hockey, badminton, cycling, shooting, wrestling, squash and triathlon.
The sporting programme is being planned alongside a broader infrastructure push aimed at creating facilities that can continue serving athletes and the public after the Games.
Sports infrastructure at the centre of preparations
Ahmedabad’s existing sporting infrastructure, including the Narendra Modi Stadium, provides a major base for the event. The stadium has previously hosted major international cricket fixtures, including the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final. Government planning has also focused on expanding sports facilities and developing a wider sports ecosystem across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
The Sabarmati Riverfront is emerging as another important part of the city’s long-term sports infrastructure plan. A substantial stretch of the riverfront is being planned around sports-related development, with the broader vision linking Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar through new sporting and urban facilities.
The approach is increasingly focused on creating multi-purpose facilities rather than infrastructure that remains underused after a major sporting event.
Hotel capacity becomes a major requirement
One of the biggest challenges will be accommodating athletes, officials, visitors, media personnel and tourists arriving for the Games.
A recent assessment by CEPT University researchers estimated that Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar could require around 40,000 hotel rooms for major sporting events, compared with an existing inventory of roughly 18,000 rooms. That leaves a potential gap of around 22,000 rooms.
The current accommodation base includes five-star and four-star hotels, resorts, boutique properties and short-term rental accommodation. The study also identified significant gaps across luxury accommodation, airport hospitality and MICE facilities.
This is encouraging fresh investment in hotels and related hospitality infrastructure.
New hotels and convention facilities take shape
The hospitality expansion is already visible across Ahmedabad.
According to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation data cited in recent reports, around nine hotel projects received approvals in 2025, while four more received approvals in 2026. Five new five-star projects are planned along Sindhu Bhavan Road, with three already under construction.
Plans also include a multi-storey five-star hotel with around 200-300 rooms and a convention and exhibition centre on the western bank of the Sabarmati River. Additional hotel projects are being developed near the airport and other important parts of the city.
The expansion could strengthen not only sports tourism but also Ahmedabad’s business-events and MICE economy, creating additional demand for restaurants, transport operators, event companies, retail businesses and other visitor services.
Transport and urban infrastructure form the wider network
Hosting a major international sporting event requires more than stadiums and hotels.
Roads, bridges, public transport, rail connectivity, water supply, drainage and pedestrian infrastructure will all influence how efficiently athletes and visitors move between accommodation, training centres and competition venues.
Planning studies have identified several potential development zones, including the Stadium-Motera corridor, SG Highway-Prahladnagar, GIFT City expansion, Dholera SIR Phase II and Ahmedabad’s heritage Walled City.
This gives the Games a wider urban-development dimension, with infrastructure investments potentially benefiting residents and businesses long after the sporting event concludes.
Building a sporting legacy beyond 2030
A key question for Ahmedabad will be how the newly created sports facilities are used after the Commonwealth Games.
Planning experts have proposed multi-functional venues, modular designs and stronger integration with existing urban centres so that facilities can host sporting events, exhibitions, educational activities and other programmes throughout the year.
The long-term objective is to ensure that the infrastructure does not become dependent on one international event for its economic viability.
The development could also support India’s wider sporting ambitions. The Union government has previously highlighted the potential of the Commonwealth Games to generate employment, promote tourism and create professional opportunities in areas such as sports science, event management, logistics, broadcasting, information technology and communications.
A wider opportunity for Gujarat’s sports economy
For Gujarat, the 2030 Commonwealth Games represent an opportunity to build a broader sports ecosystem rather than simply host a major tournament.
The combination of new venues, athlete facilities, hotels, convention infrastructure and improved connectivity could support sports tourism, international events and business travel. It could also create opportunities for local enterprises in hospitality, food services, transportation, event management, retail and tourism.
With Ahmedabad already preparing for the Commonwealth Games and Gujarat developing its wider sporting infrastructure, the focus is increasingly shifting towards what the city can build before 2030 — and how effectively those assets can continue serving the economy and sporting community after the Games are over.
The success of the preparation will therefore be measured not only by how smoothly Ahmedabad hosts the centenary Commonwealth Games, but also by whether the investment leaves behind a stronger sports ecosystem, better urban infrastructure and a sustainable events economy for the years that follow.