Divya Deshmukh returns home after historic victory  

Chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh on Wednesday (July 30, 2025) received a warm welcome upon her return to India after winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025. The 19-year-old from Nagpur achieved the biggest milestone of her career by defeating fellow-Indian Koneru Humpy in the tiebreakers of the World Cup final held in Batumi, Georgia.  

On her arrival at 2.20pm at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Mumbai (CSMIA) airport to take a connecting flight to Nagpur, her hometown, she received a warm welcome from the airport staff.  

CSMIA spokesperson said, “Mumbai International Airport had the honour of welcoming home Ms. Divya Deshmukh, the newly crowned FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 Champion. She is the first Indian woman to win this prestigious title. Her arrival was met with warmth and pride, as the airport marked her historic achievement on the global chess arena.” 

At just 19, Divya etched her name in history by winning the prestigious FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 Champion and securing the esteemed Grandmaster title, becoming India’s 88th Grandmaster and only the fourth Indian woman to accomplish this remarkable feat. Her triumph stands as a shining example of India’s rising prominence in global chess, and Mumbai International Airport was privileged to celebrate her return. 

The Maharashtra state cabinet on Tuesday formally congratulated Mr. Deshmukh for her landmark achievement of becoming the youngest winner of the Women’s Chess World Cup. 

The congratulatory resolution was tabled and unanimously passed during the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with other ministers, in attendance. The cabinet praised Ms. Deshmukh’s victory as a moment of pride for the state and the nation.