The Indira Gandhi Arena, also known as the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium or IG Stadium, is the indoor centrepiece of the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) complex in Indraprastha Estate, Delhi. It was built for the 1982 Asian Games, and in August 2026 it hosted the BWF World Badminton Championships.
Facility profile
- Official name: Indira Gandhi Sports Complex (SAI); the main hall is the Indira Gandhi Arena, formerly the Indraprastha Stadium
- Address: Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex, Inder Prastha Estate, Delhi 110002
- Operator: Sports Authority of India
- Contact: 011-23392729; email igsc.sai@gov.in (administrator listed by SAI: Atul Kumar Singh)
- Land area: 104 acres, according to SAI (Wikipedia gives about 102 acres)
- Opened: Wikipedia gives 1 January 1982, for the 1982 Asian Games. SAI does not publish the history of the complex
Wikipedia records that the arena was upgraded for the 2010 Commonwealth Games at a cost of Rs 240 crore, and that a new air-conditioned velodrome cost a further Rs 150 crore.
Infrastructure and facilities
SAI lists three main halls: a gymnastic hall with 15,000 fixed seats, a wooden floor and air-conditioning; a wrestling hall with 5,000 fixed seats; and the Indira Gandhi Indoor Cycling Velodrome with 3,000 fixed seats. Wikipedia gives the main arena’s capacity as 14,349 in its infobox and 14,348 in the text, a different count from SAI’s 15,000 for the same hall. The sports hostel has 140 beds.
SAI lists these sports: badminton, basketball, boxing, cricket, cycling, gymnastics, judo, table tennis, wushu, wrestling and sepak takraw (SAI spells it “speak takraw”). Other facilities are a recreational track for cycling and walking, a fitness centre, billiards and snooker tables, a sauna and massage centre, and a medical centre with sports medicine, rehabilitation and physiotherapy units.
Events hosted
Wikipedia lists the International Premier Tennis League (6 to 8 December 2014), WWE live events (January 2016 and December 2017) and the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships (16 to 26 March 2023). The complex’s velodrome and the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall were also 2010 Commonwealth Games venues.
In January 2026 the Yonex Sunrise India Open was held in the arena. Pigeons and other animals interrupted play, and the BWF later said it was satisfied that the venue met its requirements. PTI reported on 10 August 2026 that the Badminton Association of India and SAI then sealed vents, applied anti-nesting gel, added bird-call deterrents and a double-door entry system, repaired the roof and expansion joints and refurbished seating before the BWF World Championships, held from 17 to 23 August 2026. Outlook India reported that 80 toilets across the campus were renovated.
Timings and operational hours
SAI’s page for the complex does not publish opening hours, closing days or coaching timings. Access is for SAI trainees, national camps and scheduled events. Ask the administrator’s office on 011-23392729 about current arrangements.
Charges, membership and booking
SAI’s page carries a “Book This Stadium” link but publishes no fees, membership categories or hire rates. Event ticket prices are set by organisers. Because no tariff is published, none is given here.
Urban and ecosystem context
The complex is a national training and competition base rather than a community pay-and-play centre. SAI describes it as serving national campers and elite sportspersons, with a hostel and a sports medicine centre on site. It also stages national and international events in several indoor sports, from badminton and boxing to cycling and wrestling. The 2026 upgrade work shows the venue being prepared for a world championship, although figures for use by local clubs or schools are not published.
Details come from the Sports Authority of India’s website, Wikipedia and the news reports named above, and were checked in November 2026. Confirm contact details and access with the complex administrator before visiting.