India’s quest to host the 2036 Olympic Games moved a step forward on Wednesday after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved a revised host selection process that will culminate in a final decision in mid-2029. The decision was ratified during the IOC’s 146th Session in Lausanne following a proposal from IOC Future Host Commission chair Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. The new framework introduces an additional “Strategic Dialogue” phase aimed at increasing transparency, strengthening financial scrutiny and ensuring better cost control among bidding nations. India is currently in the Continuous Dialogue stage after submitting its Letter of Intent to host the 2036 Olympics in 2024, with Ahmedabad emerging as the proposed host city. Under the revised process, interested parties will be shortlisted for the Strategic Dialogue phase in March 2027. Candidate hosts will then be required to complete a Future Host Questionnaire and submit core financial guarantees before progressing to the Targeted Dialogue stage in 2028. “Preferred host will have to update their submission. They will also have to submit a full set of guarantees. The final decision …