Aurionpro Solutions Limited has collaborated with the Indian Chess School for the Aurionpro International Grandmaster Chess Tournament, which is currently held in Mumbai from June 16 to 24, 2025.
The event includes Grandmasters from 19 countries for International Open Grandmasters Chess event, as well as an Under-13 competition, which is regarded as the world’s largest prize money tournament for children. With this deal, the Aurionpro International Grandmaster Chess event is set to become a premier junior chess event, representing a huge step forward for the game’s future.
To learn more about the partnership, SportsMint Media had the chance to speak with Sachin Salian, Chief Marketing Officer, Aurionpro Solutions and Ninad Kelkar, Company Secretary, Aurionpro Solutions.
In the interview, the duo spoke about using the sponsorship to engage young, tech-savvy audiences, the expected ROI, how chess aligns with Aurionpro’s values, and more.
1. What inspired Aurionpro to sponsor the Mumbai International Chess Tournament, and how does this align with your broader marketing strategy?
We are Aurionpro, an enterprise technology company with 27 years of experience. We’re headquartered in Mumbai, with a global presence across Asia, the Middle East, and now expanding into Europe. We work with large enterprises, especially in banking and finance, including clients in India and Saudi Arabia.
As we grow globally, it’s important to ensure our technology and brand have the right visibility and are well-regarded. Chess resonated with us because of its shared value, focus, discipline, and strategic thinking. These qualities align closely with the way we operate as a tech company. Indian chess is at an peak right now. The last few years have seen rapid growth, thanks to consistent investment from the chess ecosystem, schools, academies, and tournaments. Supporting this tournament felt like a natural and meaningful way for us to contribute, especially as we’re deeply invested in youth and emerging tech talent from India.
For example, we acquired Arya AI last year, an AI company incubated at IIT Bombay, staffed by brilliant data scientists. We’re hiring from IITs and IIMs, investing in young talent — so this sponsorship reflects our belief in nurturing excellence.
2. What led to the partnership with the Mumbai International Chess Tournament specifically?
We were approached by the organizers since this tournament had a strong legacy. Unfortunately, it had to pause for five years due to COVID. When we heard about the revival efforts, we were immediately interested. Unlike sports like cricket or football, chess doesn’t always get the same level of funding or corporate support, but it deserves it. This was a chance for us to contribute to a meaningful cause and support new talent in a sport that represents intelligence and discipline.
3. Chess is a game of strategy. How does that reflect Aurionpro’s values as a technology company?
Chess is about ambition, mastery, and deep discipline, all things we embody at Aurionpro. We’re not a generic software services company. We develop products, platforms, and core technology, especially in banking, transit, and payments. This requires focus and strategic thinking, much like chess. Every move we make, whether it’s building a data center, launching a new market, or investing in IP, is deliberate. Our growth over the past four years has been around 30% annually. That’s a result of our careful, calibrated decisions, and chess mirrors that kind of thinking perfectly. So this sponsorship is more than symbolic, it reflects who we are.
4. How do you plan to use this sponsorship to engage young, tech-savvy audiences and build community engagement?
The Indian Chess School and this tournament are doing an amazing job reviving interest in chess, especially in western India. Interestingly, we found out that at least seven Aurionpro employees have official international chess ratings, which came as a surprise even to us! Their children are also involved in chess training, and when they heard about our sponsorship, they were thrilled. We’ve seen a growing interest internally, even among amateur players, and we’re planning some engagement activities during the tournament to encourage that further. This has become a cultural spark for us. It’s not just a sponsorship, it’s something our people are genuinely excited about.
5. Have you seen any measurable brand uplift or return on investment from this sponsorship?
We’re not approaching this strictly from an ROI standpoint, at least not in the short term. Our brand is B2B, focused on building ecosystems, not direct consumer products. So visibility for us means being in the right conversations, with the right partners and talent. This sponsorship gives us the right kind of visibility, and we’re optimistic that there’ll be mutual benefit. Chess is becoming more digital, with platforms like Twitch now heavily featuring it. We’re also investing in digital initiatives, and we see potential in long-term collaboration with the chess ecosystem. So yes, we’re looking at this as a strategic, long-term partnership, not just a one-off event.
