Esports Foundation and JioBLAST have announced a strategic partnership to launch India Rising: Road to EWC, a national competition pathway and festival hosted in India ahead of the Esports World Cup 2026. The initiative is aimed at creating an official route for Indian players to compete at the global esports tournament while strengthening the country’s gaming ecosystem.
The partnership, delivered in collaboration with Jio and Chess.com, will begin with Chess as the inaugural competitive title. The competition will feature nationwide open qualifiers culminating in a LAN grand finale in Mumbai, with the winner earning a place at the Esports World Cup 2026 Chess main event scheduled to take place in Riyadh from August 11 to 15, 2026.
All titled Indian chess players will be invited to participate in the closed qualifier stage, while over 10,000 grassroots players are expected to register through the open qualifiers. The festival in Mumbai will also feature creator programming, entertainment experiences, exhibition matches in VALORANT and Moba Legends: 5v5!, live music, cosplay, comedy acts, interactive gaming zones, and fan engagement activities.
Mohammed Al Nimer said, “The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to unite the global gaming community, and that means investing in regions shaping the future of the industry. India is central to that vision. With hundreds of millions of players, it is home to leading chess talent, elite championship Clubs to digital platforms redefining how fans engage with esports. Through partnership with JioBlast, we are creating new opportunities for Indian players to compete at the highest level, while bringing the EWC closer to its fans in the country.”
Speaking about the initiative, Charlie Cowdrey said, “India has the second biggest gaming base and one of the most passionate gaming communities in the world, but what has been missing is a clear and credible pathway from India into the biggest global stages. Partnering with the Esports World Cup to build India Rising: Road to EWC will change that. Starting with Chess.com in 2026, this is about opening the door for Indian talent, building stronger connections between players, fans and publishers, and creating an ecosystem that can grow with the market over time. We are proud to be building it with the Esports Foundation and are excited for what this will become in the future years together.”
India continues to emerge as one of the world’s leading chess nations with Grandmasters such as Gukesh Dommaraju, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Nihal Sarin, and Arjun Erigaisi leading the next generation of talent. India was represented at the Esports World Cup 2025 by Sarin and Erigaisi, competing for S8UL and Gen.G respectively.
Avadh Shah added, “India is one of the most exciting chess communities in the world, with incredible depth of talent across both the grassroots and elite levels. We’re proud to partner on India Rising: Road to EWC to help create a truly open and competitive pathway for players across the country. We’re looking forward to delivering a world class experience by combining our massive platform with the scale of Jio and the global stage of the Esports World Cup.”
The initiative establishes a structured pathway from grassroots participation in India to international esports competition, with plans to expand into multiple esports formats and fan-centric experiences in the future.
