‘This is India’s moment’: Why the country of 1.4 billion now has a dedicated lane to the eSports World Cup | Chess News
New Delhi: The traditional boundaries of Indian sports are rapidly expanding into the digital realm, with ‘India Rising: The Road to EWC’, a collaboration between JioBLAST, Chess.com and the Esports World Cup (EWC) Foundation, becoming the latest manifestation of India’s skyrocketing esports ambitions.India has secured permanent qualification on the official global eSports World Cup roadmap through the ‘India Rising’ event, with Indian grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi taking on Dutch grandmaster Benjamin Bok in a capstone showdown on Saturday for a coveted spot in the 14-man eSports World Cup chess world cup register. The choice to use chess as the initial catalyst for this integration was entirely deliberate.Indian chess is currently experiencing an unprecedented golden era, and grandmaster Vidit believes this competitive reality makes the country an ideal starting point for a major global esports portal.“India is a chess powerhouse. We have won Olympic gold medals. We are the current champions. The world champion is from India, the women’s World Cup winner is from India and challenger Vaishali is also from India,” Gujrati told TOI.“So, India is very important in chess. With the sheer number of players, I think India is one of the top places. I feel like the competition here is much more intense and it makes sense for us to have our own pathway to the eSports World Cup. Since eSports is a global event, it’s very important to have India represented there. I think we are one of the most popular countries in chess, so it makes sense that we host this event for India.”“JioBLAST CEO Charlie Cowdrey revealed that the inclusion of India in the global EWC roadmap was driven by the desire to create lasting value rather than fleeting digital wonders.When asked about preliminary plans for a separate World Cup qualifier for India, Cowdray told this website: “The early conversations are not about simply hosting another tournament in India, but about creating meaningful opportunities for Indian players.”“Chess feels like a natural starting point as India has one of the strongest chess ecosystems in the world, with incredible talent, a passionate fan base and a new generation that is redefining the sport globally.”This strategic roadmap integration comes as the domestic market reaches what Cowdray calls a “perfect storm”.India has the second largest gaming market in terms of player base, thanks to its huge demographic advantage, with 65% of the population under the age of 35. Global stakeholders can no longer ignore this scale.Mike McCabe, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, noted that the international organization is officially including India in its long-term blueprint as the country actively drives the industry forward.“India is one of the most important growth markets in global esports. It combines tremendous scale, a young and digitally savvy population, world-class competitive talent and a gaming community that continues to expand every year,” said McCabe. “We see India not just as a future market but as a market that is already shaping the future of esports. When you see the growth of esports as a global sport, it’s hard to imagine that India doesn’t play a big role in it.“However, there are clear behind-the-scenes obstacles to building entirely new pipelines across multiple global organizations.
India Rising: The Road to EWC 2026 (Photo via Chess.com)
Cowdray noted that coordinating international partners requires nuanced problem-solving that balances competitive integrity with mainstream entertainment.“Any time you build something that’s never been done before, consistency becomes one of the biggest challenges,” Cowdray admits. “We work with multiple global partners, each bringing different expertise but united by the same ambition… Finding the right balance between competitive integrity, accessibility and entertainment required months of collaboration and planning with EWC, BLAST, Jio, Chess.com and others.“The ultimate goal of this roadmap is to address the historic structural gap where domestic talent lacks direct pathways to the highest international stages.“The 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 creates what every growing esports ecosystem needs: a reliable path from grassroots competition to the global stage.”JioBLAST recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Maharashtra government to explore long-term digital innovation and youth engagement, and the roadmap is clearly set up for the long term.Cowdray added: “The ultimate sign of India Rising: Road to EWC’s success will be seeing Indian players and teams prevail on the global eSports World Cup stage in the coming years.”Also read: Vidit Gujrathi Exclusive: ‘India is a chess powerhouse but still far from becoming an esports hub’A win over Bok on Saturday could make Gujrathi the fourth Indian to qualify for the EWC main event after Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi, which would undoubtedly be a good thing for Indian chess and esports enthusiasts.“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. “
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