Krafton to Invest $250 Million in India, Expanding Beyond Gaming

Krafton, the South Korean gaming company known for titles such as PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), announced plans to invest an additional $250 million in India over the next three to four years. This investment is part of the company's strategy to expand beyond gaming into sectors such as AI, robotics, and deep tech. The announcement was made on Friday, bringing Krafton's total planned investment in India to over $500 million, which includes more than $250 million already invested since 2021. This new funding is separate from a $670 million India-focused growth fund that Krafton unveiled with South Korean internet conglomerate Naver and investor Mirae Asset in December 2025, where Krafton committed around $137 million at the fund's first close. India is a significant market for Krafton, providing access to over a billion internet subscribers and more than 700 million smartphone users. Krafton initially focused on gaming in India, particularly with BGMI, which has surpassed 260 million downloads. The company has also invested in Indian startups to diversify its business. Krafton's operations in India have faced challenges, including the ban of PUBG Mobile in 2020 due to rising tensions between India and China. In response, Krafton launched BGMI in 2021 after dropping Tencent Games as the publisher and relocating its servers to Microsoft’s Azure cloud. However, BGMI was banned in 2022 and allowed to return on a trial basis in 2023. Krafton has continued to invest in India, backing around 18 companies, including several gaming studios such as Nodwin Gaming and Loco. The new investment commitment follows a meeting between Krafton chairman Chang Byung-gyu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where they discussed collaboration opportunities in gaming and technology. Krafton has also expanded its local operations, acquiring Pune-based Nautilus Mobile and launching KIGI Academy, a program aimed at training talent in game development and digital creation.