NEW DELHI: The traditional boundaries of Indian sports are rapidly expanding into the digital realm, with the Rise of India. Road to EWC, a collaboration between JioBLAST, Chess.com, and the Esports World Cup (EWC) Foundation, has emerged as the latest expression of the country’s rising esports ambitions.Through the India Rising event, India secured a permanent qualification pathway in the official global Esports World Cup roadmap, with Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi facing Dutch Grandmaster Benjamin Bok in Saturday’s summit clash for a coveted spot in the 14-player Esports Chess World Cup list. The choice to use chess as the prelude to this integration is completely deliberate.Indian chess is currently experiencing an unprecedented golden era, a competitive fact that Grandmaster Vidit believes makes the country the ideal starting point for a major global esports gateway.“India is a powerhouse when it comes to chess. We won the Olympiad gold medal. 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 scene. Also with the number of players, I think India is one of the top places. I feel that the competition is very high here, and it means a lot that we have our own path to the Esports World Cup.“Charlie Cowdrey, CEO of JioBLAST, revealed that putting India on the global EWC roadmap was born out of a desire to create lasting value rather than a fleeting digital landscape.“The initial conversations are not just about bringing another tournament to India, it’s about creating meaningful opportunities for Indian players,” Cowdrey, when asked about their initial approach to creating a separate World Cup qualifier for India, told this website.“Chess felt like a natural place to start because India has one of the strongest chess ecosystems in the world, with incredible talent, a passionate fanbase and a new generation that is changing the game around the world.”This strategic roadmap integration comes at a time when the domestic market has reached what Cowdrey calls the “perfect storm”.India holds the second largest gambling market by player base, fueled by a huge demographic advantage where 65% of the population is under the age of 35. This is a standard that the world’s stakeholders cannot afford to forget.Mike McCabe, COO and Deputy CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, points out that the international body has formally included India in its long-term plan because the country is actively pushing the industry forward.“India is one of the most important growth markets in global esports. It combines large scale, a young and digitally connected population, world-class competitive talent, and a gaming community that continues to expand every year,” McCabe observed. “We see India not only as a market of the future, but as a market that is already shaping the future of esports. If you look at the development of esports as a global sport, it is difficult to imagine it without India playing a significant role in it.“However, establishing a completely new pipeline in many global organizations presents different behind-the-scenes obstacles.
India’s Rise: Road to EWC 2026 (Photo from Chess.com)
Cowdrey noted that aligning international partners requires intricate problem solving to balance the competitive integrity of mainstream entertainment.“Whenever you’re building something that’s never been done before, alignment can be one of the biggest challenges,” Cowdrey admits. “We work with many global partners, each bringing different skills but united by the same ambition… Finding the right balance between competitive integrity, accessibility and fun required months of collaboration and planning with EWC, BLAST, Jio, Chess.com and others.“The ultimate goal of this roadmap is to address a structural gap in history, the lack of a direct path for raw domestic talent to reach the highest international stages.“Countries that succeed in the long term are those that build strong structures around players rather than relying on the short term,” McCabe explained. “India Rising is creating something that every developing esports ecosystem needs: a reliable pathway from grassroots competition to the global stage.”With JioBLAST recently signing an MoU with the Government of Maharashtra to explore long-term digital innovation and youth engagement, the roadmap is clearly set for long-term delivery.“The ultimate sign of success for India’s Rise: The Road to EWC is to see Indian players and teams conquering the global stage of the Esports World Cup in the years to come,” added Cowdrey.ALSO READ: Vidit Gujrathi Exclusive. ‘India is a chess powerhouse but far from becoming a sports hub’On Saturday, a win against Bok would make Gujrathi the fourth Indian to qualify for the EWC main event after Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin, and Arjun Erigaisi, and would surely be the cherry on top for Indian chess and esports fans alike.“This is India’s moment,” McCabe concluded. The country already has the talent, passion, and scale to become one of the defining forces in global esports.