Krafton’s $250M India Expansion: Key Points From Its Push Beyond Gaming

Krafton plans to invest another $250 million in India over the next three to four years. The South Korean gaming company, known for PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India, says the new money will support a broader push into AI, robotics, and deep tech.

The commitment is set to take Krafton’s total planned investment in India to more than $500 million, including more than $250 million already invested since 2021.

The new $250 million pledge is separate from the $670 million India-focused growth fund Krafton unveiled with Naver and Mirae Asset in December 2025. At that time, Krafton said it would contribute around $137 million at the fund’s first close.

That distinction matters because it shows Krafton is using multiple investment channels in India: direct commitments as well as a dedicated growth fund.

India gives Krafton access to the world’s most populous country, with more than a billion internet subscribers and over 700 million smartphone users. Krafton first built its India business around gaming, led by BGMI, a localized version of PUBG that has surpassed 260 million downloads.

The company has since used startup investments to broaden beyond games. Krafton has backed about 18 companies in India, including four to five gaming studios, with investments including Nodwin Gaming, Loco, Pratilipi, Kuku FM, and One Impression.

Krafton’s India path has included major policy hurdles. PUBG Mobile was banned in India in 2020 alongside hundreds of Chinese-linked apps, after which Krafton introduced BGMI in 2021, dropped Tencent Games as the India publisher, and moved India servers to Microsoft Azure.

BGMI was also banned in 2022 before being allowed to return the following year on a three-month trial basis. Krafton has continued building around the franchise and plans to launch BGMI Lite in India by the end of 2026.

The new commitment follows a meeting between Krafton chairman Chang Byung-gyu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Krafton said they discussed closer cooperation between India and South Korea across gaming, technology, and emerging sectors.

Krafton has also expanded locally through its acquisition of Pune-based Nautilus Mobile, the studio behind Real Cricket, and through KIGI Academy, an industry-academia program focused on game development and digital creation.