India has never hosted the Olympic Games but has set its sights on 2048 after losing out to Brisbane for 2032 ©Getty Images

India has shifted its focus to bidding for the 2048 Olympics and Paralympics after it was effectively eliminated from the race for the 2032 Games, which are set to be awarded to Brisbane.

New Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia claimed the Government would upgrade sports facilities and the city infrastructure to ensure it can host the event in 27 years' time.

India was among the countries to have expressed an interest in staging the Games in 2032, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last month installed Brisbane as its preferred candidate.

The IOC has entered exclusive talks with Australian officials over hosting the event in Brisbane, which is in line to be awarded the Games potentially as early as later this year.

Other nations to have signalled their intent to bid to the IOC, including Germany, have criticised the process that led to Brisbane being all-but confirmed as the host of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.

Qatar and Hungary have both said they will press ahead with plans to remain in continuous dialogue with the IOC over the 2032 Games.

India had targeted staging the 2032 Olympics as part of a long-term hosting strategy that also included the 2030 Asian Games and the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

The 2030 and 2034 Asian Games were awarded to Qatar and Riyadh, respectively, in December, while the 2022 Youth Olympics in Dakar have been postponed to 2026.

New Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia revealed that India would now focus on a bid for the 2048 Olympics and Paralympics ©Getty Images
New Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia revealed that India would now focus on a bid for the 2048 Olympics and Paralympics ©Getty Images

Sisodia said India's attention will now turn to the 2048 Games and claimed it was never too early to start preparing for a bid.

"Starting from Athens in 1896, the torch of the Olympics has never come to Delhi," he said, according to the Hindustan Times. 

"The next Olympic Games are to be held in Tokyo. 

"The next three Olympics host cities have also been decided. 

"Our Government aims to bring the sports facilities and the sports atmosphere in the city to such a level through the new Sports University so that we can apply to host the 39th Olympics in 2048.

"This may seem far away, but we have to bid for it 10 years before 2048. 

"And before that it will take 15 years to build adequate infrastructure, to create an atmosphere where sports flourishes and to bring our players to a level where they bring medals in the sports competitions leading to Olympics 2048."

The Indian Olympic Association - whose President, Narinder Batra, is an IOC member - has reportedly expressed early support for the move.