.jpg)
Mega events, bigger Responsibility: What the Olympics and Commonwealth Games mean for Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 16: Cities that host global sporting events are often assessed by the scale of their infrastructure. New stadiums, transport corridors and public spaces tend to dominate the narrative. However, international experience suggests that the true measure of success lies in what remains once the final ceremony ends. For Ahmedabad, the host [...]
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 16: Cities that host global sporting events are often assessed by the scale of their infrastructure. New stadiums, transport corridors and public spaces tend to dominate the narrative. However, international experience suggests that the true measure of success lies in what remains once the final ceremony ends.
For Ahmedabad, the host city of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and the ambitions to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, are a defining moment. However, the conversation must move beyond physical assets alone. These events represent a pivotal moment for the city’s local event and services ecosystem, which will be required to operate at an unprecedented scale.
Studies on mega-event economics repeatedly highlight a common challenge. When local supply chains are unprepared, sudden surge in demand leads to centralisation, cost inflation and the displacement of smaller vendors. Large external operators move in, local players struggle to compete, and informal systems collapse under pressure. Without early planning, the economic benefits of hosting such events risk bypassing the very people meant to gain from them.
