NEW DELHI: The traditional boundaries of Indian sports are rapidly expanding into the digital realm, with India Rising: Road to EWC, a collaboration between JioBLAST, Chess.com and the Esports World Cup (EWC) Foundation, emerging as the latest expression of the country’s growing esports ambitions.Through the India Rising event, India has secured a permanent qualification path to the official Esports World Cup global map, with Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi set to face Dutch Grandmaster Benjamin Bock in Saturday’s top-flight clash for the coveted 14-man Esports spot. World Chess Championship list The choice to use chess as the initial catalyst for this integration is entirely intentional.Indian chess is currently experiencing an unprecedented golden era, a competitive reality that Grandmaster Vidit believes makes the country an ideal starting point for a major global esports gateway.“India is a big power when it comes to chess. We won the gold medal in the Olympics. We are the current champions. The world champion is from India, the Women’s World Cup winner is from India and the challenger Vaishali is also from India,” Gujrathi told TimesofIndia.com.“So India is very important in the chess landscape. With a large number of players, also, I think India is one of the best places. I feel that the competition here is much higher and it makes sense that we have our own path to the World Esports Championship. As esports is such a global event, it is very important to have Indian representation there. I think we are among the favorites in the chess world, so it makes sense that we have this event for India.“Charlie Cowdrey, CEO of JioBLAST, reveals that putting India on the global EWC map was born out of a desire to create lasting value rather than a fleeting digital spectacle.“The early talks were not about simply bringing another tournament to India, they were about creating meaningful opportunities for Indian players,” Cowdrey told this website, when asked about their initial approach to creating a separate World Cup qualifier for India.“Chess seemed like a natural place to start as India has one of the strongest chess ecosystems in the world, with incredible talent, passionate fans and a new generation redefining the sport globally.”This integration of the strategic plan comes at a time when the domestic market has reached what Cowdrey calls a “perfect storm”.India holds the second largest gaming market by player base, fueled by a huge demographic advantage where 65% of the population is under 35 years of age. This is a scale that global stakeholders can no longer ignore.Mike McCabe, COO and Deputy CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, points out that the international body is formally incorporating India into its long-term plan as the country actively moves the industry forward.“India is one of the most important growth markets in global esports. It combines sheer scale, a young and digitally connected population, world-class competitive talent and a player community that is expanding every year,” noted McCabe. “We see India not only as a market of the future, but as a market that is already shaping the future of esports. When you look at the growth of esports as a global sport, it’s hard to imagine it without India playing a major role in it.“However, establishing a brand new pipeline across multiple global organizations presented various behind-the-scenes obstacles.
India on the Rise: Road to EWC 2026 (Photo via Chess.com)
Cowdrey notes that aligning international partners required precise problem-solving to balance competitive integrity with mainstream entertainment.“Whenever you’re building something that’s never been done before, alignment becomes one of the biggest challenges,” Cowdrey admitted. “We worked through multiple global partners, each bringing different expertise but united by the same ambition…Finding the right balance between competitiveness, affordability and fun required months of collaboration and planning with EWC, BLAST, Jio, Chess.com and others.“The ultimate goal of this plan-setting was to address the historic structural gap, the lack of a direct route for raw domestic talent to reach the highest international stages.“Countries that succeed in the long term are those that build lasting structures around players rather than relying on short-term momentum,” McCabe explained. “India Rising is creating something that every growing esports ecosystem needs: a credible path from local level competition to the global stage.”With JioBLAST recently signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Maharashtra to explore long-term digital innovation and youth engagement, it is clear that the roadmap is built for the long haul.“The ultimate measure of success for India Rising: Road to EWC will be seeing Indian players and teams winning on the global stage of the Esports World Cup for years to come,” added Cowdrey.READ ALSO: Exclusive Vidit Gujrathi: ‘India is a chess power, but still far from becoming an esports hub’On Saturday, a win over Boka could make Gujrathi the fourth Indian to qualify for an EWC main event after Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi, and it would surely be the cherry on top for Indian chess and esports fans as well.“This is a moment for India,” concluded McCabe. The country already has the talent, passion and scale to become one of the defining forces in global esports.”
