The Esports Foundation and JioBLAST have partnered to launch 'India Rising: Road to EWC', a national competition pathway and festival ahead of the Esports World Cup 2026.
The partnership will feature international nationwide open qualifiers for Chess, culminating in a grand finals held in Mumbai, with the winner advancing to the EWC 2026 chess main event in Riyadh.
Over 10,000 grassroots players are expected to sign up for open registration, with titled Indian players invited to the closed qualifier section.
India is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets globally, with a projected 500 million players and $1 billion in player spending by 2026.
The Esports World Cup returns to EWC this summer with a $1.5 million prize pool, expanding to a 21-player field with qualification routes including the 'India Rising' pathway.
