Bengaluru: The Esports Foundation (EF) and JioBLAST on Monday announced a strategic partnership to launch ‘India Rising: Road to EWC’, a national competition pathway and a festival hosted in India ahead of the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), the world’s largest esports and gaming event.
The future vision of the partnership beyond 2026 will be formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop the ecosystem, beginning with ‘India Rising: Road to EWC’ as a long-term flagship property connected to EWC in India.
Delivered in collaboration with Jio (for use of its digital platforms) and Chess.com, ‘India Rising’ will feature international nationwide open qualifiers for Chess, culminating in a grand finals held on LAN at the fan festival, with the winner advancing to the EWC 2026 chess main event, held in Riyadh from August 11-15, 2026.
All titled Indian players will be invited to the closed qualifier section of ‘India Rising’, with more than 10,000 grassroots players across the country expected to sign up for open registration.
The festival will be held offline in Mumbai, where attendees can experience the ‘India Rising’ chess finals alongside creator programming, entertainment, and interactive fan experiences.
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.”
India is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets globally, expected to surpass 500 million players in 2026, with player spending projected to exceed $1 billion. The market is predominantly mobile, with approximately 95% of players on mobile devices.
Chess returns to EWC this summer with a $1.5 million prize pool following its debut last year, where Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid) won the inaugural title. The competition expands to a 21-player field, with a play-in stage and qualification routes including the ‘India Rising’ pathway alongside Champions Chess Tour and Chess.Com.
