Krafton, the South Korean gaming giant known for PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), plans to invest an additional $250 million in India over the next few years, expanding its focus beyond gaming into AI, robotics, and deep tech. This brings Krafton’s total planned investment in India to over $500 million since 2021, including a previously announced $670 million growth fund in collaboration with Naver and Mirae Asset.
India has become a crucial market for Krafton, given its vast population of over a billion internet users and 700 million smartphone users. BGMI, a localized version of PUBG, has amassed over 260 million downloads and has been the cornerstone of Krafton’s Indian operations.
Despite challenges, including a ban on PUBG Mobile in 2020 and BGMI’s own ban in 2022, Krafton has persisted in its efforts, adapting its operations and investing in 18 Indian companies, including gaming studios. Recently, Krafton chairman Byung Gyu Chang met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explore cooperation in gaming and technology. Additionally, Krafton has been enhancing its local presence, acquiring Pune-based Nautilus Mobile and launching the KIGI Academy to train talent in game development.
