Rs 22 Lakh, A 40-Year Wait: What It Really Takes To Become A Gymkhana Club Member In India

There are clubs you join, and then there are clubs you wait decades for.

In India's gymkhana culture, membership is not just about access to a swimming pool or a tennis court. It is often tied to legacy, bureaucracy, social networks, old-money culture, and patience that can stretch across generations. In some cases, families put their children's names down, hoping they will eventually become members as adults.

Right now, one of India's most talked-about clubs, Delhi Gymkhana Club, is back in the headlines, not for its lawns or social evenings, but because of an ongoing legal and land dispute with the Centre.

The word "gymkhana" comes from the colonial era. Photo: Delhi Gymkhana

The club, which sits on 27.3 acres in Lutyens' Delhi, was recently served an eviction notice by the government, which said the land was needed for defence infrastructure and public-security purposes.

The matter is now before the Delhi High Court. But as headlines brew, another question is resurfacing again: what does it actually take to become a member here?

We tried to find out. But before that, let's start from the very beginning.

What Exactly Are Gymkhana Clubs?

The word "gymkhana" itself carries traces of the British Raj. According to various reports, the term was first documented in 1854 and is believed to have originated from the Hindi phrase gend-khana, loosely translating to "ball house" or a place for sports and games.

Over time, the word evolved during the colonial period, with the English spelling and pronunciation shaped partly by words such as "gymnasium".

British officers in India created these elite recreational 'Gymkhana' clubs centred around horse riding, sports, dining, and social gatherings. Over time, these spaces evolved into private members-only institutions that mixed sport, networking, bureaucracy, and, well, social prestige.

Many of India's oldest gymkhanas date back more than a century. They were designed less like modern gyms and more like sprawling lifestyle clubs, complete with tennis courts, bars, libraries, card rooms, cottages, banquet halls, and manicured lawns.

Today, gymkhana clubs continue to occupy a place in urban, umm, elite India. Some are deeply tied to bureaucratic and government circles, while others operate as legacy social clubs where membership itself becomes a status symbol.

And despite newer luxury clubs entering the market, old gymkhanas continue to hold enormous cachet because of one thing: scarcity.

The Delhi Gymkhana Membership Puzzle

NDTV spoke to staff members and members of the Delhi Gymkhana Club to understand how the system works.

The first thing they told us was blunt.

"Generally, you have to wait 40 years," one staff member said when asked what happens if someone applies today without any special category or connections.

Forty years.

The club currently has around 5,600 permanent members, according to staff we spoke to. Membership openings happen only when existing permanent members resign or die. 

Many of India's oldest gymkhanas date back more than a century. Photo: Delhi Gymkhana

That limited cap is one of the biggest reasons behind the famously long waiting list.

"Suppose a member dies in the permanent category or they resign, so we have limited vacancies in a single year. That's why there is a long waiting queue to get the membership," the staff member explained.

The structure itself is divided into categories.

Government applicants and non-government applicants face different timelines and pricing structures.

According to the staff member, government-category applicants typically wait between 15 and 20 years and pay around Rs 5.5 lakh. Non-government applicants can wait between 35 and 40 years and pay roughly Rs 22 lakh.

Both categories, we were told, currently require applicants to pay around Rs 1.5 lakh simply to enter the waiting list.

The club also reportedly has categories such as corporate memberships, dependent cards, and eminent memberships.

Children of permanent members can enter through a separate route.

Dependents can receive cards at a younger age, later apply for green card status, become UCP members, and eventually become permanent members as they move upward in the system over many years. 

"That's the difference," the staff member explained while describing how legacy-linked memberships work differently from direct applicants joining the waiting queue from scratch.

But even that process has reportedly slowed dramatically.

"From the last six years, we haven't issued any green cards because they have stopped the process," the source said.

Another member of the club shared that this system has created a "complete membership paralysis" since the pandemic years.

"They are not taking young people, nor are they taking any new members, and they barely have any sports competition here anymore. The last one took place in 2022," the member shared.

More Than Just A Sports Club?

Despite the name, gymkhana clubs are not merely about fitness.

Delhi Gymkhana Club functions more like a self-contained private ecosystem.

The sports infrastructure alone is extensive. The club has 26 grass tennis courts, four hard courts, flex-cushion courts, squash courts, badminton courts, billiards rooms, basketball facilities, a swimming pool, and a health club.

Then come the lifestyle facilities: restaurants, lounges, bars, banquet spaces, libraries, card rooms, massage services, beauty parlours, children's areas, and even 43 transit rooms and cottages for members and guests.

In many ways, members do not just visit the club. They spend entire evenings there. Families socialise there. Business meetings happen there. Weddings and parties are hosted there. Some members have been associated with the club across generations.

That old-world ecosystem is also reflected in the club's famously detailed dress regulations.

The Dress Code

Getting a membership is not enough. Once inside, you need to follow a certain dress code to enter the property, according to their website.

At a time when most urban clubs allow sneakers and casual wear, Delhi Gymkhana still maintains a surprisingly formal approach to clothing inside large parts of the premises.

According to their website, in dining areas, bars, card rooms, billiards rooms, and lounges, the permitted attire includes lounge suits, bandh galas, Jodhpuri coats, safari suits, collared shirts tucked into trousers, and traditional Indian attire like achkans and churidar sets.

The dress code. Photo: Delhi Gymkhana Club

For special occasions such as Christmas and New Year events, ties and formal combinations are expected.

Some items are explicitly not allowed inside the main building: "shorts, sportswear, untucked shirts, slogan T-shirts, distressed jeans, rubber slippers, caps, and even shoes without socks".

The rules extend to sports, too. Tennis attire is expected to be predominantly white, squash shoes must be non-marking, and swimming pool access requires approved swimwear.

What About Other Gymkhana Clubs In India?

While Delhi Gymkhana Club may be among the most talked-about, it is far from the only exclusive club operating this way.

When NDTV contacted The Bombay Gymkhana posing as potential customers, the response was brief and telling.

"There are no openings right now."

When asked about pricing, the response was even more direct.

"If there is no opening, there is no point in knowing the prices," the staff told us.

Chennai's Gymkhana too was unreachable, with minimum infromation about membership on their official website. 

However, outside the old legacy gymkhana system, newer private gymkhana clubs (that are still affiliated to older gymkhannas) operate differently and often with shorter waiting periods.

For instance, Noida-based Stellar Gymkhana offers tiered memberships with clearly listed prices. A five-year membership costs around Rs 2.25 lakh, a 10-year plan costs Rs 2.75 lakh, a 25-year membership costs Rs 4 lakh, while a lifetime platinum category is priced around Rs 6 lakh.

The price range for Noida's Gymkhana.

The contrast is striking.

Modern clubs increasingly function like premium lifestyle subscriptions. Older gymkhanas, meanwhile, still operate on scarcity, lineage, and institutional prestige with limited information on their website.

Why People Still Want In

For many, the obvious question is simple: why would anyone wait 40 years for club membership?

Part of the answer lies in access. These clubs are located in prime urban spaces with facilities that are difficult to replicate elsewhere.

But another major part lies in social signalling.

A membership at legacy gymkhana clubs still carries a certain old-establishment prestige. These spaces historically attracted senior bureaucrats, military officers, business families, diplomats, judges, and political circles. Even today, being part of such clubs often signals entry into a very specific social ecosystem.

And because memberships are capped, they become even more desirable.

READ MORE: Blog | My First Lesson In Delhi Came On The Lawns Of Gymkhana: Kiran Bedi Writes