Nagaland to Host F1 Sim Racing India Open Round in Kohima on August 28–29

Kohima will host a round of the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 on August 28 and 29, bringing an official Formula 1-sanctioned national sim racing championship to the Northeast for the first time. The round will be held at the NBCC Convention Centre as part of the TXG Expo Nagaland 2026, featuring separate junior and senior categories and giving racers and gaming enthusiasts from Nagaland and the wider Northeast an opportunity to compete on a national motorsport platform.

The Kohima round will be conducted by Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited (MFRL) in collaboration with the Nagaland E-Sports Society. The championship uses the official F1 25 game and professional-grade simulators to identify and develop emerging motorsport talent. The national competition spans 10 zones, with online qualification leading to zonal stages and the national finals scheduled in Mumbai in November 2026. The championship carries a ₹2 crore prize pool, with the Junior and Senior champions each eligible for ₹1 crore at the finals.

Beyond esports, the initiative is designed as a potential motorsport talent pathway. The overall winner will receive an opportunity to enter MFRL's “One in a Billion Hunt – Agla Star”, backed by a ₹3 crore driver-development fund. The programme aims to identify talent that could progress from simulation to karting and eventually professional racing. MFRL's experience in developing young drivers adds credibility to the initiative, while the programme also highlights careers in race engineering, data analytics, strategy, simulation technology, broadcasting and team operations.

The event will run alongside TXG Expo Nagaland 2026, themed “Where Technology, Gaming and Culture Converge”. The expo will showcase esports, artificial intelligence, game development, cloud computing, digital creativity and emerging technologies, alongside competitions, workshops, exhibitions and career sessions. Gaming events include EA Sports FC 26, Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, Dirt Rally 2.0 and other titles, while the expo will feature a Game Development Showcase, Innovation Hub and networking opportunities.

Supported by the Government of Nagaland and partners including CII, NIELIT, YouthNet, NE8 and Nagaland Tourism, the event is aimed at strengthening the state's digital ecosystem. For the Northeast, the Kohima round offers a new gateway into Formula 1, esports and technology-driven motorsport careers, potentially making it an important talent-discovery platform for the region.