The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has announced the launch of the IEPL – IICT Esports Premier League, marking the institute’s first original, owned and operated institutional intellectual property. The finals of IEPL Season 1 will be hosted on 8 February 2026 at the IICT campus in Mumbai, where the campus will be transformed into a multi-zone esports and experiential gaming environment.
Conceptualised and executed entirely by the IICT team, IEPL has been designed as a structured inter-college platform that brings together competitive gaming, student participation, industry collaboration and experiential exposure. The league reflects IICT’s intent to build scalable national IPs in emerging creative-technology domains, while introducing students to the rapidly growing gaming and esports ecosystem and its career opportunities across AVGC-XR and allied sectors.
IEPL Season 1 follows a hybrid competition format, combining national-level online qualifiers with physical on-campus finals. Online qualification rounds for the league’s two flagship titles, BGMI (KRAFTON) and Valorant (Riot Games), were conducted between 30 January and 2 February 2026 and live-streamed nationally on YouTube, enabling the league to reach student gamers beyond campus boundaries. Shortlisted finalist teams from these qualifiers will compete in LAN finals at IICT, while additional competitive and experiential titles remain open-access for visiting students.
Alongside BGMI and Valorant, the on-campus edition features competitive and experiential play across titles such as Real Cricket 24, FIFA, Hitwicket, Cosmic Race, and Beat Saber VR, offering participants exposure to diverse gaming genres within a single secure venue. On the day of the finals, the IICT campus will host dedicated esports arenas, racing and cricket zones, virtual reality experiences and phygital sports installations, creating an immersive environment for both competitors and visitors.
Speaking on the launch, Dr Vishwas Deoskar, CEO of IICT, said, “IEPL represents a significant step in IICT’s journey of building original institutional IPs that sit at the intersection of creativity, technology and youth culture. Our objective is not limited to hosting a tournament, but to create a structured platform where students can understand the esports and gaming ecosystem, engage with industry-grade setups, and gain early exposure to emerging career pathways within AVGC-XR.”
The league is expected to host over 1,000 students and visitors, with participation from more than 20 colleges across Mumbai and Pune, including engineering, media, arts and management institutions. Participating institutions include Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, MIT World Peace University, VIT Pune, Lala Lajpat Rai College and Amity University, among others.
IEPL also incorporates a curated startup and Indian innovation showcase, designed to introduce students to early-stage creative-technology ventures. Over 25 startups applied to participate, with a shortlisted set selected for on-ground demonstrations during the finals, enabling direct interaction between students and emerging founders in the gaming and interactive technology space.
Industry and ecosystem partners are supporting IEPL across competitive, experiential and technology enablement areas. KRAFTON, Hitwicket and Cosmic Race are contributing through cash prize sponsorships across select titles, while CyberPowerPC (USA) is supporting participant engagement through gift vouchers, branded merchandise and hardware-focused giveaways. Xwall.io, in association with IICT Mumbai, is delivering the phygital sports experience at IEPL, bringing together physical movement and digital gameplay through interactive installations.
IICT students are actively involved in IEPL as volunteers, gaining first-hand exposure to large-scale event execution, partner coordination and on-ground operations. This participation aligns with the institute’s experiential learning approach, ensuring students engage with the ecosystem in an educational and observational capacity.
