Goa, May 12 -- The Esports Foundation and JioBLAST on Monday announced a strategic partnership to launch 'India Rising: Road to EWC', a national competition pathway linked to the Esports World Cup 2026.

The initiative aims to provide Indian players with a direct route to one of the world's biggest esports and gaming events while helping strengthen India's rapidly growing gaming ecosystem.

Organisers said the long-term collaboration will later be formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with 'India Rising' expected to become a flagship esports property connected to the Esports World Cup in India.

The competition, organised in collaboration with Jio and Chess.com, will feature nationwide open qualifiers for chess. The winn...