Kamal Ghorui
The Esports Foundation and JioBLAST on Monday announced a partnership to launch India Rising: Road to EWC, a national esports and chess qualification pathway linked to the Esports World Cup 2026.The initiative will begin with chess as its first competitive title and will feature nationwide online qualifiers before culminating in an offline final in Mumbai. The winner will qualify for the Esports World Cup 2026 chess main event in Riyadh, scheduled from August 11 to 15 next year.
According to the organisers, more than 10,000 players are expected to take part in the open registration process, while titled Indian players will directly enter the closed qualifier stage.The Mumbai event will also feature exhibition matches in VALORANT and Moba Legends: 5v5!, alongside creator programming and fan engagement activities.
“The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to unite the global gaming community,” Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer of the Esports Foundation, said. “India is central to that vision.”Al Nimer added that the partnership with JioBLAST would help create “new opportunities for Indian players to compete at the highest level, while bringing the EWC closer to its fans in the country.”JioBLAST CEO Charlie Cowdrey said India had “one of the most passionate gaming communities in the world”, but lacked “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,” Cowdrey said.India has emerged as one of the leading nations in chess in recent years, with players such as Gukesh Dommaraju, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi gaining prominence internationally. India was also represented at the Esports World Cup 2025 by Nihal Sarin and Erigaisi.Chess returned to the Esports World Cup last year, where Magnus Carlsen won the inaugural title. The 2026 edition will feature a 21-player field and multiple qualification routes, including the India Rising pathway.
