Formula 1 Revival in India: India has taken a major step toward bringing Formula 1 back to the country, with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announcing a 10-member task force to examine the challenges and feasibility of hosting a Grand Prix again.
The committee has been asked to develop a coordinated plan for the sustainable growth of motorsports in India and explore what would be required to stage a Formula One race by 2028.
Who Is on the Formula 1 Task Force?
The task force will be led by Yugal Kishore Joshi, Programme Director and Adviser at NITI Aayog. Its members include Sports Ministry Joint Secretary Kunal and Arindam Ghosh, president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).
Representatives from the Tourism and Commerce departments will also be part of the panel. The governments of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra will have representation as well, reflecting the importance of both states in India’s motorsport and tourism ecosystem.
Government to Study Challenges
Mandaviya said the committee will conduct a detailed assessment of the obstacles involved in reviving Formula 1 and recommend policy measures that could help address them.
The task force will also prepare a broader roadmap covering the development of motorsports in India, with the goal of creating conditions that could support a Formula One race in 2028.
The move signals renewed government interest in motorsport, which has struggled to regain a foothold in India after the country’s previous Formula 1 event.
When Did India Last Host Formula 1?
India hosted its first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2011 at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The circuit subsequently hosted races in 2012 and 2013, with the 2013 Indian Grand Prix being the last F1 race held in the country.
The proposed 2028 return would therefore mark India’s comeback to the Formula 1 calendar after a gap of about 15 years.
If the task force’s recommendations lead to the necessary policy and infrastructure changes, India could once again become a destination for the world’s premier single-seater racing championship.
