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The Esports Foundation (EF) and JioBLAST have announced a strategic agreement to create India Rising: Road to EWC, a national competition route and festival held in India prior to the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), the world’s largest esports and gaming event.
The partnership’s future ambition beyond 2026 will be formalised by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaboratively build the ecosystem, commencing with India Rising: Road to EWC, a long-term flagship property connected to EWC in India.
Delivered in association with Jio (to utilise its digital channels) and Chess.com, India Rising will involve international statewide open qualifications for chess, culminating in a grand finals hosted on LAN during the fan festival, with the victor progressing to the EWC 2026 Chess main tournament, which will be held in Riyadh from August 11 to 15, 2026. While the 2026 edition adds Chess as its first competitive title, building on India’s global prominence in the game, Rising: Road to EWC is intended to grow in the coming years, incorporating numerous esports genres and fan-centric experiences as the platform evolves.
All titled Indian players will be invited to India Rising’s exclusive qualifying section, and over 10,000 grassroots players from around the nation are anticipated to join up for open registration.
The event will take place offline in Mumbai, where guests can see the India Rising Chess finals as well as creative content, entertainment, and interactive fan experiences. Additional exhibition matches in VALORANT and Moba Legends: 5v5! will be part of the program, which will combine competitive esports with live entertainment, including live music, cosplay, comedy, interactive gaming zones, and dedicated fan engagement creative spaces.
Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer of the Esports Foundation, 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.”
Charlie Cowdrey, CEO, JioBLAST, 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 is one of the world’s top chess nations, led by a new generation of Grandmasters such as Gukesh Dommaraju, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Nihal Sarin, and Arjun Erigaisi. Sarin and Erigaisi represented India in the Esports World Cup 2025, playing for S8UL and Gen.G, respectively, demonstrating the country’s influence at the highest level of competition. India is one of the world’s fastest-growing gaming marketplaces, with 500 million gamers estimated by 2026 and player expenditure exceeding $1 billion. The market is mostly mobile, with over 95% of gamers using mobile devices.
Avadh Shah, Country Director – India, Chess.com, said, “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.”
JioBLAST will oversee the design and execution of India Rising, which will include a competition, a festival, and content. The concept creates a clear path from grassroots engagement in India to global competitiveness at the EWC. JioBLAST continues to communicate with regulators in light of India’s changing regulatory landscape.
Chess returns to the EWC this summer with a $1.5 million prize pool, after its debut last year, when Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid) won the inaugural title. The competition extends to a 21-player field, with a play-in stage and qualification pathways that include the India Rising pathway, as well as Champions Chess Tour and Chess.com events.
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