Krafton, the South Korean gaming company known for PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), has announced plans to invest an additional $250 million in India over the next three to four years, expanding its focus beyond gaming to include artificial intelligence, robotics, and deep technology.
This latest investment announcement, made on Friday, brings Krafton’s total planned investment in India to over $500 million, which includes more than $250 million previously invested since 2021. This new capital comes on top of a $670 million India-focused growth fund that Krafton revealed in collaboration with South Korean internet giant Naver and investor Mirae Asset in December 2025, with Krafton contributing approximately $137 million at the fund’s initial closing. Importantly, this $250 million commitment is separate from that growth fund, as confirmed by the company to TechCrunch.
India represents a significant market for Krafton due to its vast population, comprising over a billion internet users and more than 700 million smartphone subscribers. Initially, Krafton established its presence in India through gaming, particularly with BGMI, a localized iteration of PUBG that has achieved over 260 million downloads. In recent years, the company has diversified its investments in Indian startups to extend its business beyond the gaming sector.
Krafton’s journey in India has faced challenges. The Indian government banned PUBG Mobile in 2020, along with many Chinese-associated applications, amid rising tensions with Beijing. In response, Krafton introduced BGMI in 2021, ending its partnership with Tencent Games as the game’s publisher in India and migrating its servers to Microsoft Azure to address the Indian government’s concerns.
Despite these hurdles, BGMI was banned again in 2022, but it was permitted to return on a trial basis for three months the following year. Since then, Krafton has been actively developing the franchise and plans to release BGMI Lite in India by the end of 2026.
Krafton has continued to invest in India, backing approximately 18 companies, including four to five gaming studios, as confirmed to TechCrunch. Notable investments include Nodwin Gaming, Loco, Pratilipi, Kuku FM, and One Impression.
The announcement of the new investment follows a meeting between Krafton chairman Chang Byung-gyu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi earlier on Friday, where they discussed potential collaborations between India and South Korea in gaming, technology, and other emerging sectors.
In addition, Krafton has been enhancing its local operations; last year, it acquired Pune-based Nautilus Mobile, the studio behind the Real Cricket franchise. The company also recently launched the KIGI Academy, an initiative designed to train talent in game development and digital creation.
