Esport will be taking center stage as a showcase event for the first time in the Khelo India Youth Games’ (KIYG) history. KIYG 2025, which is now happening in Bihar from May 4 to 14, will have its esports events at the Patliputra Sports Complex from May 6 to 7. The tournament will include well-known mobile and console games, including Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball.

Chess is an especially notable addition to KIYG 2025, even if BGMI is still the most popular esports title in India. Previously regarded as a strictly traditional sport, chess has become more and more popular in the esports industry. Most recently, it was included in the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, which offers a USD 1.5 million (Rs 12.6 crore) prize pool for the winner.

One of the forerunners of this change in India was NODWIN Gaming, a prominent player in the esports and gaming scene in South Asia. The firm held chess events in both fast and blitz modes at DreamHack India 2024 and organized the Chess Super League in 2021, which included both national and international talents.

The esports roster for KIYG 2025 shows a conscious attempt to serve a variety of gaming consumers with games spanning mobile, console, and strategy-based formats like chess.

“The Khelo India Youth Games 2025’s inclusion of games like BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball marks a significant advancement for grassroots esport in India.” Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said, “It’s encouraging to see esports standing shoulder to shoulder with traditional sports, and the addition of Chess – bridging classical and digital strategy shows how in tune with global trends.”

Grandmasters Aravindh Chithambaram and Nihal Sarin have signed with S8UL, a worldwide giant in esports and gaming entertainment, to participate at the EWC 2025, further highlighting the rising prominence of Indian Chess in esport.

S8UL will compete in the famous event not only in chess but also in Street Fighter 6, EAFC25, Call of Duty Warzone, Tekken 8, and Apex Legends.

The addition of games like Street Fighter 6, Chess, and the eFootball console to KIYG 2025, according to Animesh Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of S8UL, shows a deliberate attempt to go beyond mobile gaming and create a more comprehensive competitive environment.

The state of Bihar aggressively supported the esports movement prior to its participation in KIYG 2025 by hosting the Bihar State Esports Open Championship and the Bihar Inter School and College Esports Championship in the previous year. Additionally, states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Nagaland have taken the initiative to formalize and promote grassroots esports initiatives.

India has already made waves on the world scene in eFootball, with Pavan Kampelli taking home the bronze in the 2024 Asian Esports Games in Bangkok, and S8UL competing in Chess and Street Fighter at the EWC 2025.

The first-ever Olympic Esports Games are planned for 2027, and esport will be a recognized medal sport in the 2026 Asian Games.