India will bid to host Olympic Games in 2036, PM Modi says at IOC session

India will bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games as it attempts to bring the planet’s biggest sporting event to the country for the first time.

The nation will leave “no stone unturned as it tries to organize the event,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a session of the International Olympic Committee in Mumbai on Saturday. India has proved its capability to organize global events, including the Hockey World Cup and the ongoing Cricket World Cup, Modi said.

The world’s fifth-biggest economy, which aspires to become a developed country by 2047, is keen to register its presence on the global stage. Organizing the mega event would involve billions of dollars in public spending, while economic benefits include increased construction, a boost in spending by foreign visitors and demand for more goods and services.

The country of 1.4 billion people — the world’s most-populous — is also keen to host the 2029 Youth Olympics, Modi said. One of the biggest sports tournaments India has organized so far was the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

The next Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris in 2024, followed by Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032. Poland, Mexico, and Indonesia, are among countries that have expressed interest to organize the 2036 event.