JioBLAST, the joint venture created by Jio, RISE Worldwide and BLAST to shape India’s next phase of esports and competitive entertainment, has appointed Manish Patankar as Vice President–Commercial Partnerships.

The announcement was made through a LinkedIn post, underscoring the company’s plans to strengthen its commercial and revenue strategy as the esports ecosystem rapidly expands in India.

Patankar brings over 12 years of experience in sports business, commercial strategy and IP monetisation. He has previously held leadership roles at Collective Artists Network, ITW Consulting, IOS Sports & Entertainment, and also has entrepreneurial experience from his stint at SahiCoin.

Across these mandates, he has been instrumental in driving commercial growth for major sports and entertainment properties, scaling partnership revenues and leading marquee deals with leagues, broadcasters, athletes and brands.

At JioBLAST, he will take charge of commercial strategy across esports properties and large-scale IPs, while driving partnerships and integrated monetisation opportunities across the platform. His role will centre on building scalable revenue engines for India’s rapidly growing esports audience, at a time when the industry is poised for major expansion.

Welcoming him to the organisation, Charlie Cowdrey, CEO of JioBLAST, said Patankar brings “a rare blend of sports IP experience, brand solutions and dealmaking”, adding that his expertise will be crucial as the company scales its multi-game esports platform and expands its ambitions across the Jio ecosystem.

Patankar said esports in India is at a defining moment, and JioBLAST is positioned to lead its next phase of growth. He called the vision of building marquee IPs, unlocking mass participation and creating a commercially robust ecosystem “incredibly exciting”, adding that he looks forward to shaping long-term partnerships and elevating fan experiences as esports accelerates into mainstream culture.

JioBLAST combines Jio’s digital ecosystem of more than 500 million users with BLAST’s global esports entertainment experience and RISE Worldwide’s strength in sports and event management. With India emerging as one of the world’s largest gaming markets and the Online Gaming Bill 2025 supporting sectoral growth, the joint venture aims to build a vibrant, scalable IP ecosystem — from world-class tournaments to creator-led entertainment formats — strengthening India’s ambitions of becoming a global esports powerhouse.