Top 10 Richest Esports Players in India. India’s esports scene has surged to $8.0M+ in combined prize money, nearly half of which (≈48%) comes from PUBG Mobile (BGMI) tournaments. This boom has propelled players from gaming (BGMI, PUBG, Free Fire) and even online chess into the ranks of the country’s wealthiest competitive gamers.
Our top 10 list mixes high-prize earners (like young chess GMs Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi) with influencer-style streamers (like Jonathan “Jonathan Gaming” Amaral and Naman “Mortal” Mathur) who combine tournament winnings with sponsorships and YouTube revenue. Each player’s profile below includes their role, main game(s), team/org, verified prize earnings, estimated net worth or business deals, and media/streaming reach.
Also, we provide a timeline of their earnings with a comparison table. (For reference, tournament earnings and stats are from EsportEarnings and Liquipedia; net worth estimates are from industry reports and interviews.)
Top 10 Richest Esports Players In India
| Rank | Player (Alias) | Main Game(s) | Total Tournament Earnings | Est. Net Worth | Top Income Sources |
| 1 | Jonathan Amaral (Jonathan Gaming) | BGMI (PUBG Mobile) | $82,804.29≈₹68.1 lakh | ~₹20–25 Cr ($2.6–3M) | YouTube ads (7.5M subs), BGMI tournaments, Red Bull & other sponsors |
| 2 | Naman Mathur (Mortal) | BGMI | $55,463.57≈₹45.4 lakh | ~₹16 Cr ($2.0M) | YouTube/Twitch (6.98M subs), BGMI winnings, MG Motor & boAt endorsements |
| 3 | Nihal Sarin (junglebook1) | Online Chess (Chess.com) | $260,392.96≈₹2.14 Cr | Unspecified (federation salary, patronage) | Chess.com tournament wins, government/federation grants, coaching |
| 4 | Arjun Erigaisi (GHANDEEVAM2003) | Online Chess (Chess.com) | $156,304.59≈₹1.28 Cr | Unspecified | Chess.com tournament wins, coaching fees, team sponsorships |
| 5 | Praggnanandhaa R. (rpragchess) | Online Chess (Chess.com) | $154,740.53≈₹1.27 Cr | Unspecified | Chess.com tournaments, FIDE events, academy sponsorships |
| 6 | Ammar Khan (Destro) | BGMI | $92,200.92≈₹75.3 L | Unspecified | BGMI prize money, likely content creation/streaming |
| 7 | Vidit Gujrathi (viditchess) | Online Chess (Chess.com) | $83,456.86≈₹68.4 L | Unspecified | Chess.com events, national team salary, sponsorships |
| 8 | Vivek Horo (ClutchGod) | BGMI | $79,431.65≈₹65.1 L | Unspecified | BGMI tournaments, team revenues (MadKings), gear partnerships (e.g., Redragon) |
| 9 | Tanmay Singh (ScoutOP) | BGMI | $57,698.20≈₹47.3 L | Unspecified | BGMI tournaments, YouTube content, team salaries (RNTX) |
| 10 | Abhishek Choudhary (ZGOD) | BGMI | $56,419.28≈₹46.3 L | Unspecified | BGMI tournaments, YouTube streaming, team pay (GodLike Esports) |
(All USD→INR conversions approximate, ₹1 = $0.012.)
1. Jonathan Amaral
- Role & Games: Assaulter/Duo leader in BGMI (PUBG Mobile India). Team Apex Gaming (TAG) was formed in 2026.
- Earnings: ~$82.8K in tourney prizes. Major wins include BGMI Masters and PMCO events.
- Net Worth & Income: Estimated around ₹20–25 crore, owing to ~7.5M YouTube subscribers and brand deals (Red Bull athlete). He streams BGMI content and earns from sponsorships (e.g., JBL and Regalia).
- Milestones: Formerly with Entity/Godlike, Jonathan was the BGMI India Series champion, and in 2026, he formed his own TAG team.
- Sources: Prize data, Red Bull profile, interviews, SocialBlade for subs.
2. Naman Mathur
- Role & Games: Former BGMI pro, now top streamer/content creator. Co-owner of S8UL Esports.
- Earnings: ~$55.5K in prizes. He won major BGMI tournaments (e.g., Battlegrounds Mobile Series) early in his career.
- Net Worth & Income: Reported net worth > ₹16 Cr. Revenue from YouTube (6.98M subs), Twitch, and sponsorships (MG Motor, Boat, JBL, and Redragon). S8UL’s revenue-sharing also contributes.
- Milestones: 2019 BGMI India Series champion; 2021-22 BATTLES grand finals winner. Mortal and Team S8UL have won multiple content creator awards and partnered with MG Motor (sub-brand Andretti), boosting their income.
- Sources: Esports Earnings, Financial Express net worth, S8UL wiki, and interviews.
3. Nihal Sarin
- Role & Games: Grandmaster in chess (focus on online rapid/death events). Represented India in the Olympiad and tournaments worldwide.
- Team/Org: Indian national chess team member (via Indian Chess Federation).
- Earnings: ~$260.4K from online chess tournaments (e.g., Chess.com Speed Championships, Chessable Masters). Major wins include gold at the Asian Games 2022 (team) and silver at the 2022 Chess.com Worlds.
- Net Worth & Income: Unspecified publicly. Primarily earns from federation stipends, coaching, and simultaneous exhibitions, plus the above prize money. Some income from streams (chess channel), but it’s modest.
- Milestones: Youngest Indian to qualify for the FIDE World Cup (2021). Silver medalist at the 2022 Global Chess.com Championship. Active chess coach/YouTuber on the side.
- Sources: Prize totals from EsportEarnings and major win records on Chess.com events.
4. Arjun Erigaisi
- Role & Games: Chess grandmaster known for blitz and rapid online play. Ranked among India’s top GMs.
- Team: Independent/Indian team.
- Earnings: ~$156.3K (2022 runner-up at Champions Chess Tour Final, other series wins). He won two titles in the 2022 Global Chess Tour.
- Net Worth: Not publicly reported (likely modest outside chess prize money).
- Milestones: Became India’s youngest GM in 2018; in 2022, placed 5th in the Champions Chess Tour Finals. Won two elite events in the Meltwater Tour (sponsored by Chess.com) in 2022.
- Sources: EsportEarnings records and news on Chess.com finals.
5. R. Praggnanandhaa
- Role & Games: Chess Grandmaster, a prodigy known for rapid victories.
- Team: Member of the Indian national chess circuit.
- Earnings: ~$154.7K, from high finishes in Chess.com events (Crypto Cup, Chessable Masters 2022 runner-up for $37.5K, etc).
- Net Worth: Unclear (mostly tournament winnings, support).
- Milestones: Won the U18 World Championship (2018) and a Chess.com Rapid event, finishing 2nd at the Crypto Cup 2022. Regularly competes in the FIDE Circuit with salaries.
- Sources: Tournament prize data, esports news (Champions Tour).
6. Ammar “Destro” Khan
- Role & Games: BGMI roster player (formerly with Entity/Gods Reign).
- Team: Gods Reign (since mid-2023).
- Earnings: ~$92.2K from BGMI events. Won Battlegrounds Mobile India Series 2021 (₹16.8L, ~$16.8K) and a BGMI Masters (₹22.5L) as shown by EsportEarnings.
- Net Worth: Unspecified (likely modest). Relies on BGMI prize pools and streaming.
- Milestones: 2021 BMIS Champion (grand final victory); consistent team performance in BGMI league. Joined GodLike Apex in 2023.
- Sources: EsportEarnings, Liquipedia BGMI events.
7. Vidit Gujrathi
- Role & Games: Top Indian GM (classical chess), also active online.
- Team: Member of the Indian national chess team.
- Earnings: ~$83.5K from online matches (50% from Chess.com events, e.g., qualifiers and Masters). Also prize winnings from classical events (not included).
- Net Worth: Not public, but likely from state grants (the Maharashtra govt. rewarded him ₹1 Cr in 2023 for chess achievements) and sponsorships (SAIL, etc.).
- Milestones: Gold medal with India at the Asian Games 2022 (rapid team) and finalist in the Asian Championship. Semi-finalist in the 2022 Chess Olympiad.
- Sources: EsportEarnings, news on state rewards.
8. Vivek “ClutchGod” Horo
- Role & Games: BGMI player andfounder of Madkings Esports
- Team: Player at Madkings
- Earnings: ~$79.4K in BGMI prize money. Top wins include Skyesports Championship Season 3 (₹3.26L) and multiple tournament top-3s.
- Net Worth: Unspecified. Gains from team revenue shares, streaming (YouTube/Twitch), and gear sponsorships (often with Redragon).
- Milestones: Winner of Skyesports and multiple tournaments.
- Sources: EsportEarnings.
9. ScoutOP
- Role & Games: BGMI pro (Assaulter).
- Earnings: ~$57.7K. Notable finishes: 8th at the India Invitational 2019 ($7K); 9th at the 2022 BGMI Afterparty Showdown ($14.2K); and others.
- Net Worth: Unspecified. Income from team salary and streaming content (YouTube/Twitch), where he has several hundred thousand subscribers.
- Milestones: Part of the champion teams in Skyesports Championship 2021 and OneShot 2021. Known for a brief stint at PUBG Mobile World League 2020.
- Sources: EsportEarnings, Liquipedia for placements.
10. Abhishek Choudhary
- Role & Games: BGMI player (Support).
- Team: Godlike Esports (2021–present).
- Earnings: ~$56.4K. Key results: 13th at PMGC 2021 Grand Finals (₹11.4 L) and 3rd at Skyesports Championship 2023 (₹3.33 L).
- Net Worth: Unspecified. Earns from team salary and a moderate streaming/YouTube audience.
- Milestones: Consistently finished in the upper half of major BGMI leagues and was an occasional champion in smaller events.
- Sources: EsportEarnings, Liquipedia BGMI finals records.
Career Milestones (2019–2026):
- 2019: Mortal wins PUBG Mobile India Series 2019
- 2021: Ammar “Destro” Khan clinches BGMI Series 1 2021 (Series 1 finals)
- 2021: ScoutOP places 8th at PUBG Mobile India Tour Grand Finals
- 2021: ClutchGod’s team wins Skyesports Championship 3.0
- 2022: Praggnanandhaa 2nd at FTX Crypto Cup 2022
- 2022: Arjun Erigaisi 5th in Champions Chess Tour Final
- 2022: Mortal co-founds S8UL Esports
- 2023: Nihal Sarin 2nd at GlobalChess.com Championship
- 2026: Jonathan Amaral launches Team Apex Gaming (TAG)
Chart: Total tournament earnings (USD) of these top Indian players (EsportEarnings data)
FAQs
Who is currently India’s richest gamer by income?
With prize money, Nihal Sarin leads with ~$260K, but including sponsorships/streams, Jonathan Gaming is often considered the highest-earning with a net worth of ~₹20–25Cr.
Are esports earnings taxed or salaried?
In India, tournament winnings are taxable income. Many pro gamers also earn a salary from organizations (some contracts include fixed pay), plus income from streaming and brand deals. Official contracts are uncommon in India, so much of the income comes from prize pools and personal sponsorships.
Which games generate the most money?
BGMI/PUBG Mobile events dominate India’s esports prize pools (~47.94% of total). Other titles with significant payouts include Chess.com and COD Mobile (see top events list).
How are net worths estimated?
Analysts combine known prize/YouTube income and known asset values. For example, Jonathan’s ~₹25Cr figure is derived from his YouTube subs and sponsorship deals; Mortal’s ₹16Cr was reported by the media. In the absence of official numbers, we label some as “unspecified.”
Do chess GMs count as esports players?
Many sources (EsportEarnings, Liquipedia) classify online chess as “esports.” India’s top chess GMs (Nihal, Arjun, and Praggnanandhaa) compete on esports platforms and appear in eSports earnings lists. However, traditional chess federations do not usually refer to it as esports.