On 15 October 2025, the
Commonwealth Games Federation formally confirmed that Ahmedabad will host the 2030
Commonwealth Games. The confirmation has already altered the development
direction of the city, with investors, developers and hospitality operators
preparing for one of the largest coordinated infrastructure expansions in
Ahmedabad’s recent history. The anticipation is not speculative. Global
research on similar events shows how cities experience structural economic
shifts when long-term investments align with major sports tournaments.
Evidence from the London 2012
Olympics is one of the strongest indicators of what Ahmedabad may be
entering. In the study The Impact of the London Olympics Announcement on
Property Prices, authored by Stephen Gibbons, Teemu Lyytikäinen and
Henry Overman, and released through the Spatial Economics Research
Centre Discussion Paper Series in 2010, researchers found that properties
around the Olympic Park experienced 2.1 percent to 3.3 percent immediate
price growth after the announcement. Additional long-term analysis by the Research
and Analytics Division of Lloyds Banking Group in 2022 reported that
Waltham Forest, one of the Olympic boroughs, recorded a 122 percent rise in
house prices over ten years, compared with 61 percent across Greater
London. These findings established that major events create hyper-local
corridors of appreciation linked directly to infrastructure and connectivity
upgrades.
A second international benchmark comes
from the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast. The official
post-event study titled Economic Impact Assessment of the Gold Coast 2018
Commonwealth Games, published by Griffith University in 2019,
estimated a total economic impact of A$2.5 billion across the
preparation, event and short-term legacy periods. The same report documented
how the Parklands Athlete Village was designed for immediate conversion
into a mixed-use residential and commercial district, creating long-term value
after the Games.
Ahmedabad is now positioned to
replicate elements of these success stories. Several anchor projects are
already in motion. The 236-acre Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in
Motera was sanctioned through a Government of Gujarat resolution issued
in 2021, with project details published through official state planning
documents. The upcoming Naranpura Sports Complex, spread over
approximately 143 acres of restructured institutional land, has been cleared
through the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority’s town-planning approvals.
The expansion of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport,
including a major terminal upgrade, is documented in the Airports Authority of
India’s infrastructure expansion filings.
As a result, multiple regions in
Ahmedabad are emerging as strong development corridors. Motera and Naranpura
will anchor the sports infrastructure. Their positioning resembles London’s
Stratford and Hackney Wick, which saw early uplift once venue plans were locked.
The Sabarmati riverfront corridor, expected to include the athlete
village and aquatic facilities, is well-placed for hospitality, residential and
mixed-use activity, similar to the waterfront-led developments in the Gold
Coast.
In South-West Ahmedabad, the Manipur,
Godhavi and Shela belt is undergoing zoning transitions connected to the
South-West Ahmedabad Sports Arena (SWASA), cleared under Ahmedabad Development
Plan provisions. These zoning changes reflect early groundwork for wider roads,
public infrastructure and recreational precincts. Comparable patterns were seen
in the Carrara to Southport corridor during the Gold Coast Games.
There is also a second ring of
localities that are strategically positioned for spillover benefits. This group
includes Vaishnodevi, Gota, Jagatpur and New Ranip, which sit along
expanding north and north-west transit networks that connect to SP Ring Road,
the airport zone and the Motera sports hub. These areas already have strong
residential traction, and their location offers more affordable entry points
for buyers who want access to upgraded infrastructure without being inside
high-density venue zones. Research on London’s second-tier Olympic belts, such
as Leyton and Plaistow, showed that such peripheral-but-connected areas often
experience strong mid-cycle appreciation.
Further west, the Sanand to SP Ring
Road corridor, including Shilaj, Palodia, Godhavi, Nidhrad and Kaneti, has
undergone formal land-use conversion approved through the Ahmedabad Urban
Development Authority. More than 200 hectares have been designated for
mixed-use and sports-linked development. This mirrors the zoning approach used
in Manchester before the 2002 Commonwealth Games, where peripheral corridors
became long-term growth engines.
Across past global events, the
development arc typically unfolds in three stages. First comes the announcement
phase, during which confidence increases and land acquisition intensifies in
well-connected pockets. Next comes the construction phase, where cities
experience higher demand for rental housing, serviced apartments and mid-scale
hotels. Finally comes the legacy phase, where outcomes depend on whether the
infrastructure created is fully integrated into the city’s long-term urban
plan. A comprehensive review by Bent Flyvbjerg and Allison Stewart in the
2020 Oxford Olympics Study found that cities such as Barcelona, London and
the Gold Coast benefited significantly because they designed their
infrastructure with post-event reuse in mind.
For Ahmedabad’s residents and businesses,
the opportunities now depend on geography and readiness. Individuals who own or
plan to invest in Motera, Naranpura, Shela, Shilaj, Godhavi, Vaishnodevi, Gota,
Jagatpur and New Ranip are located within or near mapped infrastructure
corridors. Hospitality players near the airport and riverfront can gear up for
expanded demand from officials, spectators and post-Games business tourism.
Service-sector companies in logistics, facility management, events and
transport can anticipate rising activity long before 2030.
At the same time, global lessons
highlight the need for discipline. The Urban Regeneration Review conducted
by the University of Portsmouth in 2022 found that although London achieved
strong gains, the benefits varied significantly across neighbourhoods and were
closely tied to transit improvements and sustained investment. Ahmedabad’s
long-term success will rely on execution quality, consistent funding and
integrated planning across the next seven years.
In summary, Ahmedabad’s confirmation
as host city for the 2030 Commonwealth Games has created a clear development
roadmap supported by credible international examples and ongoing local
projects. If the city maintains coordinated planning and timely delivery, the
Games could reshape Ahmedabad’s real-estate corridors, strengthen its
hospitality ecosystem and expand long-term growth across major zones such as
Motera, Naranpura, Sabarmati, Shela, Shilaj, Vaishnodevi, Gota, Jagatpur and
New Ranip.
- Arvind Ola
CEO & MD, Reneev Developers.
https://www.reneevdevelopers.com/