Gaming
Global Esports & Santanu Hazarika collab to design an exclusive Valorant Championship Tour jersey
Mumbai: Breaking barriers between art and gaming, a leader in South Asia’s gaming scene, Global Esports (GE) and established multidisciplinary artist Santanu Hazarika have come together to design a one-of-its-kind jersey for GE’s Valorant Championship Tour (VCT) roster. This exclusive limited-edition jersey drop is set to mark a digital renaissance in the dynamic Indian art and gaming landscapes.
The collaboration between the esports organisation and the artist is an endeavour to break the norms and reinvent the idea of how an esports jersey should look. It showcases Santanu elevating the typical plain, functional ‘team uniform’ for GE’s VCT squad by adding a distinct style quotient to it. The new jersey design perfectly embodies the convergence of art and the esports revolution of India.
Global Esports CEO and founder Rushindra Sinha mentioned, “Our jersey design has been based on our brand colours for the last decade. Generally, jerseys are looked at from the perspective of it being a uniform, and no one has really thought about disrupting it. However, we wanted to do something different. We wanted it to be a work of art while also looking at adding an element of fashion. That’s where Santanu stepped in to add his unique layer of art.”
He further added, “What makes this collaboration even more exciting is that this is perhaps an opportune way to own an exclusive Santanu Hazarika artwork. I believe this adds an evolutionary value to our jerseys!”
For designing the jersey, Santanu primarily drew inspiration from the ‘GE Lion’ depicted in Global Esports’ VCT Player Card. The ‘GE Lion’ has now been transformed into a visceral, sublime and surreal form of clothing piece in the three GE colours, reflecting the artist’s signature style. Furthermore, the jersey is representative of the team reinventing their gameplay as well as their ethos, vision and victory.
Commenting on the collaboration, Santanu Hazarika said, “I have always been inspired by gaming as an artist since I was a child. And I am a gamer myself! I instantly connected with the GE team as we both have a common ground when it comes to pop culture and gaming. They enabled me to explore a whole new world of how big esports is, which helped me incorporate elements of gaming, fashion and art together for a jersey different from anything else the esports world has ever seen.”
The specially created jersey is a testimony to GE’s commitment to pushing the envelope across diverse aspects of gaming and building an enduring esports legacy on the world stage. The limited edition jerseys are priced at Rs 1299/- and are available for purchase at https://gefighting.com/.
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
