A tentative agreement to host the Indian Grand Prix was reached in 2007 between the Indian Olympic Association and Bernie Ecclestone, then chief executive of the Formula One Group. A site in Greater Noida was selected. Delays in land procurement and the global financial crisis slowed construction through 2009, and the circuit's design was revealed in November 2009. Originally referred to as the Jaypee Group Circuit or Jaypee International Circuit, the facility was officially named the Buddh International Circuit in April 2011. The circuit's logo uses a stylised 'B' in a heart shape, representing both 'Buddh' and 'Bharat' (the native name of India), with the saffron, white, and green of the Indian flag.
The circuit rises fourteen metres within the first three corners alone, with gradients of up to 10% uphill and 8% downhill. Team feedback prompted two changes before the 2011 opening: the planned hairpin at Turn 7 was removed and Turn 3 was widened to allow different driver lines. A defining feature is the banked double-apex sequence at Turns 10–11–12, nicknamed the "Currybolica" in reference to the Parabolica at Monza. This right-handed clockwise sequence tightens on exit and generates high tyre loadings; it was compared to the long Turn 8 at Istanbul Park, though unlike that corner it tightens rather than opens on exit. The main straight extends 1.06 km (0.66 mi) and provides a primary overtaking point at its end. The pitlane exceeds 600 metres, one of the longest in Formula One.
Before the opening weekend, predicted lap time for a Formula One car was 1:27.02 at an average speed of 210.03 km/h (130.51 mph). During inaugural qualifying Sebastian Vettel recorded 1:24.178, bettering Pirelli's predictions. Jaime Alguersuari of Scuderia Toro Rosso posted the session's top speed at 324.2 km/h (201.4 mph).
The first Indian Grand Prix took place on 30 October 2011. Sebastian Vettel started from pole, won the race, and set a lap record that stood for the following two Grands Prix. In 2012 Vettel again took pole and led every lap; the fastest lap was set by McLaren's Jenson Button. The 2013 race was the sixteenth of nineteen rounds; Vettel again started from pole and won, simultaneously securing his fourth consecutive Formula One World Drivers' Championship ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who finished eleventh. Red Bull Racing also secured its fourth consecutive Constructors' Championship at that race. The 2013 Indian Grand Prix was the last Formula One event held at the circuit.
The race was absent from the 2014 calendar, partly because a rescheduling to March 2014 conflicted with the October 2013 context. Its return in 2015 was ruled out by mid-2014 due to contractual and taxation issues. The owners wrote off losses of at least $25.1 million across the three seasons.
The first signs of dispute emerged in 2009 when the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports denied promoter JPSK Sports permission to remit $36.5 million in licensing fees to Formula One administration in London, classifying Formula One as entertainment rather than sport. Customs fees on imported components — including engines and tyres — were not waived. Fees of $51.3 million owed by Jaypee Sports to Formula One World Championship Limited (FOWC) remained outstanding at the time of Liberty Media's acquisition of the Formula One Group in 2016.
In April 2017, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the circuit constituted a permanent establishment, making FOWC liable for taxes estimated at 40% of business income. The court also treated royalty payments from Jaypee to FOWC as business income subject to tax, contradicting the original agreement stipulating fees would be paid free of taxes. Liberty Media set aside $14.8 million toward settlement in July 2017.
Despite financial distress and high maintenance costs, the owners stated in 2016 that they did not intend to sell. The circuit has continued to host the JK Tyre National Racing Championship and open track days. The Indian motorcycle Grand Prix was held at the venue in 2023 as part of the MotoGP World Championship. An Asia Road Racing Championship event was held in 2016. Planned events for the Formula Regional Indian Championship and F4 Indian Championship in 2022 were cancelled. As of 2026, the Adani Group was preparing a roadmap to return Formula One racing to the circuit, subject to completing its acquisition of the debt-laden Jaiprakash Associates for ₹14,535 crore (US$1.7 billion). The State Transformation Commission of the Government of Uttar Pradesh signed a memorandum of understanding with AVW Global — an automotive and motorsports consultancy established by former MotoGP rider Karel Abraham — to develop motorcycle racing and bring MotoGP and the Asia Road Racing Championship back to the venue.
Drivers praised the circuit's high-speed, flowing layout. Lewis Hamilton compared it to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Jenson Button described it as difficult to drive in a consistently quick fashion. Sebastian Vettel highlighted the elevation changes, comparing the experience to a roller coaster. The circuit was awarded the '2011 Motorsport Facility of the Year' at the Professional Motorsport World Expo 2011 and the FIA 'Best Promoter Trophy' for 2011 and 2012.
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