India and South Africa join five other countries bidding to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said.
Qatar, Germany, Hungary, Turkiye and South Korea make up the rest of the current list issued by the IOC on Tuesday.
Other countries have until October 31 to declare an interest.
Qatar hosted the 2022 football World Cup and was home to the 2006 Asian Games, which it will host again in 2030.
In March 2027, the IOC Executive Board will draw up a shortlist of the interested parties, who will then enter dialogue with the Olympic body.
The IOC said the 2036 hosts would be assessed on factors such as funding and political and public support.
“Wherever the Games take place, one thing must never change: Athletes have to be at the heart of everything we do,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said in a statement.
“That is why, for every future host, delivering the best possible experience for the athletes must always be the starting point,” the Zimbabwean former swimmer added.
India has stated its intention to host an Olympics for the first time, centred on Ahmedabad, the key city in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat.
Ahmedabad will host the 2030 multisport Commonwealth Games, seen as a major rehearsal for an Olympics. The city is also home to the world’s largest cricket stadium.
South Africa hosted the 2010 football World Cup and the 1995 Rugby World Cup but has never played host to an Olympics.
An Olympics in the Gulf would have to be moved to later than its traditional July-August slot due to the heat.
