India has stepped up preparations to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Gujarat, but financial liabilities and legal disputes from the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games are yet to be fully resolved.
The details were revealed in a report by The Indian Express.
According to the report, outstanding dues worth Rs 28.05 crore were cleared during the 2025-26 financial year. The payment was made to MTNL. In addition, around Rs 50 crore is expected to be set aside in 2026-27 to settle the remaining liabilities.
India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said it could not confirm the exact amount still pending, as several related matters remain under judicial consideration. As of April 22, 2026, a total of 29 cases linked to the 2010 Games were still pending in various courts. These cases involve 24 vendors, individuals and authorities, with the Union government being a party in each of them.
Among the major vendors listed are Nussli Switzerland, which received a Rs 128 crore contract for Games overlays, and Electronics Corporation of India, which had an approved contract worth Rs 346 crore.
Legal expenses have also continued to rise over the years. Since 2010, Rs 6.37 crore has been spent on lawyers, while another Rs 6.63 crore has gone toward arbitrators and tribunals.
A previous report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) stated that the estimated cost of the 2010 Commonwealth Games rose sharply from Rs 297 crore, as mentioned in a 2003 Cabinet note, to Rs 18,532.31 crore by October 2010. The Delhi Games have long been associated with overspending, corruption allegations and poor planning.
In April 2025, former Indian Olympic Association president and 2010 Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi was cleared of major charges related to the Commonwealth Games scandal after a Delhi court accepted closure reports in money laundering cases.
However, the controversy surrounding the Games had already damaged India’s global image.
The 2030 Commonwealth Games, which will mark the centenary edition of the event, are expected to feature more than 70 nations in Ahmedabad. India also sees the tournament as an important opportunity to strengthen its bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
