Why India Rising Could Change Esports in the Country

The Esports Foundation and JioBLAST have announced ‘India Rising: Road to EWC,’ a new competition and festival initiative that will establish an official qualification pathway from India to the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. The program will launch with chess as its first competitive title, with nationwide qualifiers organized in collaboration with Chess.com and supported through Jio’s digital platforms.

The winner of the competition will qualify for the EWC 2026 Chess main event in Riyadh, scheduled for August 11-15, 2026. Organizers said more than 10K grassroots players are expected to participate, while all titled Indian chess players will receive invitations to the closed qualifier stage.

India Rising Expands India’s Presence in Global Esports

The initiative is designed as a long-term property that could expand into additional esports titles in future years.

JioBLAST chief executive officer (CEO), Charlie Cowdrey, stated India has lacked a “clear and credible pathway” into major international esports competition. He also described the partnership as an effort to strengthen connections between Indian fans, players, and publishers.

Esports Foundation chief commercial officer (CCO), Mohammed Al Nimer, said India is central to the organization's long-term vision because of its scale and influence across gaming and Chess. He pointed out that the partnership with JioBLAST is intended to create more opportunities for Indian players, while bringing the EWC closer to audiences in the country.

The offline finals and festival will take place in Mumbai, and feature creator programming, cosplay, live entertainment, gaming zones, and exhibition matches in Valorant and Moba Legends: 5v5!

India Rising launches as India’s gaming market continues to expand rapidly, with the country projected to surpass 500M players in 2026. At the same time, India has continued strengthening its presence in both esports and competitive chess on the global stage.