The launch opened a series of events in Delhi and Ahmedabad that showcased India’s culture, sport and environmental work. It brought together senior leaders including the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, the President of the Indian Olympic Association P T Usha and the British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron, along with leading Indian athletes such as table tennis star Sharath Kamal who has thirteen Commonwealth Games medals, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt who has two Commonwealth Games golds and shooter Gagan Narang who has eight Commonwealth Games golds and ten medals overall.
Designed by visual artist Aaquib Wani, the India Baton brought together state flowers, Gond art and Indian scripts. The design celebrated India’s natural environment, tribal traditions and linguistic heritage.
Finishing touches were added to the Baton by the dignitaries during the Delhi unveiling. The display zone included a photo booth, a history kiosk, athlete interactions and a digital engagement wall. The Baton remained on view at DLF Avenue from 12 to 14 November where schools and youth groups took part in supporting activities.
On 14 November the Baton travelled to Ahmedabad for a three-day programme linked to the twenty-third edition of the Commonwealth Games. The visit covered twenty-three locations across the city.
The first day followed the theme Flow of Heritage as the Baton began its activity at Parimal Garden before continuing to Law Garden and Oxygen Park. It then visited Gujarat University where Olympic swimmer Maana Patel welcomed the Baton. Further stops included IIT Gandhinagar, Sanskardham, L J University and the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex where members of the India U-17 football team took part. Students from universities and schools joined relay moments throughout the day. In the evening the Baton was displayed at the Ahmedabad International Book Festival for public viewing.
The second day adopted the theme Flow of Strength as the Baton visited sports academies and clubs across Ahmedabad. Athletes including Bhavina Patel, Harmit Desai, Sonal Patel, Yashika Bhatia, Radha Yadav and Gagan Narang joined activities along the route. The Baton passed Karnavati Club, Rajpath Club and the Atal Bridge before returning to the Book Festival for an evening display.
The final day carried the theme Flow of Renewal and focused on community and environmental action. A river-cleaning activity took place at the Sabarmati Riverfront at Vallabhsadan Steps, Vijay Park Zone and the NIDC section.
The activity was led by Shri Ashwani Kumar IAS, Principal Secretary of the Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities Department of the Government of Gujarat, together with other dignitaries.
Municipal teams, volunteers and schools participated. The activity formed part of the Royal Commonwealth Society Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign, which supports clean-up events in every Commonwealth nation during the Relay.
In the afternoon, the Baton visited educational institutions including Apple Global School, Delhi Public School Bopal, Udgam School, Ahmedabad International School and Ahmedabad University. Engagement sessions included athlete talks, film screenings and interactive activities. The visit concluded with a final display at the Book Festival where a montage of the Ahmedabad journey was shared with the public.
Throughout the visit local creators documented the Baton under the theme The Baton Belongs to Everyone. Their reels, live updates and behind-the-scenes content captured the energy of each stop and helped bring the India leg to audiences across the Commonwealth.
