JioBLAST has added to its leadership team with the appointment of Manish Patankar as Vice President of Commercial Partnerships. The move is part of the joint venture’s ongoing efforts to establish its operations in the Indian esports market.

Patankar previously held roles in sports business and IP monetisation at organisations including Collective Artists Network, ITW Consulting, and IOS Sports & Entertainment. At JioBLAST, his responsibilities will include commercial strategy across the venture’s esports properties and partnerships.

Patankar provided a statement for the official announcement. “Esports in India is at an inflection point, and JioBLAST is uniquely positioned to lead its next phase of growth. The vision to build marquee IPs, unlock mass participation, and create a commercially robust ecosystem is incredibly exciting. I’m looking forward to building long-term partnerships, elevating fan experiences, and contributing to a future where esports becomes a mainstream cultural force in the country,” he said.

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Charlie Cowdrey, CEO of JioBLAST, commented on the appointment. “Manish brings a rare blend of sports IP experience, brand solutions and dealmaking. His ability to build value with brands will be instrumental as we scale JioBLAST into India’s largest multi-game esports platform,” Cowdrey said.

This follows the appointment of two other Vice Presidents at JioBLAST last week. Randall Fernandez was hired for IP Development and Publisher Relations, while Dillip Mohanty joined to lead Live Production.

JioBLAST is a joint venture between Reliance Jio, the global tournament operator BLAST, and sports management firm RISE Worldwide. The venture aims to develop esports content and tournaments for the Indian market.

The appointments occur as the Indian government has passed the Online Gaming Bill 2025, legislation that provides a regulatory framework for the sector. India is considered one of the world’s largest gaming markets by audience size.

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