Gukesh Dommaraju, the youngest world chess champion, received the Titan of the Year 2026 award in Mumbai. The event, held on February 6, 2026, at the St. Regis Hotel, celebrated his achievements with a special edition watch launch. Titan highlighted his dedication and global impact as embodying the brand's values.
Titan, India's leading watch manufacturer, presented its second annual Titan of the Year award on February 6, 2026, to Gukesh Dommaraju, recognized as the youngest world champion in chess history. The ceremony took place at the St. Regis Hotel in Mumbai, where Gukesh was honored for making the country proud through hard work, dedication, and willpower—qualities the brand seeks to embody.
This marks the second year of the award; in 2025, it was given to Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut. To commemorate the occasion, Titan launched the Gukesh World Champion special edition watch, inspired by chess. The timepiece features a marquetry dial made from Tiger Eye and Agate minerals, set in a case shaped like a chessboard square. Hour markers represent chess pieces: Queen at 12 o'clock, Rook at 9 o'clock, Bishop at 3 o'clock, and King at 6 o'clock, with pawns for the rest. The hands include a Knight counterpoise, and it is powered by the Titan 7A20 automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve and 22 jewels. The watch has a 316L stainless steel case, sapphire crystals, a custom rotor engraved with a Knight motif and the message “Youngest World Chess Champion at 18,” an Italian calf leather strap, and a butterfly buckle. Each piece includes a personalized note signed by Gukesh.
During the event, Aparna Ravi, Titan's head of marketing, asked Gukesh's parents about the secret to his calmness. His father, Rajnikanth, shared a childhood anecdote: upon returning from the hospital, he would hear noise from home, expecting his wife to be disciplining Gukesh, but it was actually Gukesh pulling his mother's hair or wrestling with her. The story drew laughter and applause from the crowd.
