The more than five-decade-old Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium (IGMC) in Vijayawada is all set for a makeover, as the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) has planned to undertake infrastructure development activities soon.
These activities, worth around ₹280 crore, will be taken up in three phases. Work under Phase-I will begin after Minister for Transport and Sports Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy lays foundation on Wednesday (April 8, 2026).
In the first phase, the stadium will get an eight-lane synthetic track of 400 metres, a football ground, athletics-related infrastructure, four synthetic tennis courts, and two basketball courts, all of which will cost around ₹60 crore, SAAP chairman A. Ravi Naidu told The Hindu. Of this, ₹20 crore has come from the Union government under the Khelo India programme.
In the second phase, multipurpose indoor stadiums will be constructed—one with a seating capacity of 3,000 and another dedicated to gymnastics—at an estimated cost of ₹100 crore. Mr. Ravi Naidu said they have submitted a request to the Union government, urging it to earmark ₹40 crore for the second phase of works.
In the third phase, a hall with a seating capacity of 2,000, weightlifting infrastructure, a chess academy, and a new administrative building are likely to be established at a cost of ₹120 crore. “While phase-1 works must be completed by March 2027, a deadline of August 2028 has been fixed for projects taken up under the second phase,” Mr. Ravi Naidu said. However, there is little clarity regarding the third phase.
There is a need for development of sports infrastructure, including athletics, in the State that meets the international standards, Mr. Ravi Naidu said. He said the city should be ready to host Khelo India games next year.
Published – April 07, 2026 08:53 pm IST
