Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday that he is actively pushing for a Formula 1 race to return to India in 2027, disclosing in an informal interaction with media in New Delhi that at least three companies have shown interest in operating the Buddha International Circuit in Greater Noida — the track that last hosted an Indian Grand Prix in 2013 before the event was dropped from the F1 calendar.
The minister’s statement is the most senior government endorsement yet of a renewed Indian F1 bid and represents a meaningful escalation from the years of speculation and intermittent reports about India’s return to the Formula 1 calendar. Mandaviya naming three interested operators for the Buddha International Circuit moves the conversation from aspiration to a stage where commercial and operational groundwork is visibly underway.
The Buddha International Circuit and India’s F1 history
The Buddha International Circuit, located in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, was purpose-built to Formula 1 specifications and hosted the Indian Grand Prix three times — in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The circuit received widespread praise from drivers and the F1 paddock for its design, facilities, and the quality of racing it produced. Sebastian Vettel won all three Indian Grands Prix, with the races taking place during his dominant years with Red Bull Racing.
The event was dropped from the calendar primarily due to issues with the entertainment tax levied by the Uttar Pradesh state government, which made the financial model unviable for the promoter — Jaiprakash Associates, the now-insolvent infrastructure conglomerate. The circuit fell into disuse and disrepair after 2013, with periodic reports of maintenance issues and the track surface deteriorating without the operational activity needed to keep it in race-ready condition. Jaiprakash Associates’ subsequent entry into insolvency proceedings complicated any revival attempt by entangling the circuit’s assets in the resolution process.
Why 2027 is a realistic target
The F1 calendar for 2025 and 2026 is already largely fixed, making 2027 the earliest realistic slot for a new race. Formula 1 under Liberty Media’s ownership has been actively expanding the calendar toward a 24-race season, with new markets and street circuits in Las Vegas, Miami, and Qatar having been added in recent years. The commercial rights holder has expressed interest in Asian calendar expansion, and India — with its rapidly growing middle class, significant motorsport enthusiasm, and the presence of major F1 team sponsors with strong Indian market exposure — represents an attractive commercial proposition for Liberty Media.
The three companies reportedly interested in operating the Buddha International Circuit would need to negotiate a circuit operations agreement, undertake the necessary refurbishment of the facility to bring it back to FIA Grade 1 homologation standards, and — critically — reach a commercial agreement with Formula 1 Management on hosting fees, which for a new race are typically in the range of $50 million to $70 million annually and escalate over a multi-year contract.
The entertainment tax question that killed the original Indian Grand Prix would need to be definitively resolved, likely through a central and state government agreement to treat an F1 event as a sports event rather than an entertainment event for tax purposes — a distinction that significantly changes the financial viability of the race fee economics.
What it means for Indian motorsport
India’s return to the F1 calendar would be a landmark moment for motorsport development in the country. The original Indian Grands Prix generated significant interest in Formula 1 and motorsport more broadly among Indian audiences, and the sport’s global popularity has grown enormously in the intervening decade — partly driven by the Netflix Drive to Survive series, which attracted a new generation of younger fans globally including in India. An Indian Grand Prix in 2027 would land in a very different commercial and cultural environment than the 2011-2013 races, with a far larger and more engaged domestic fanbase ready to support it.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the Sports Minister’s informal media interaction and publicly available information. No official F1 calendar confirmation has been made. Business Upturn is not responsible for any decisions made based on this article.
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