PUBG Owner KRAFTON To Invest $50 Mn Annually In India

South Korean gaming giant KRAFTON is betting big on India and plans to invest at least $50 Mn (INR 441.23 Cr) annually in the country. In an interview to Financial Times, KRAFTON India CEO Sean Sohn said that the company is looking to invest in expanding its operations as well as look for potential acquisitions in the country. 

India has been a key market for the company given the performance of its mobile-game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), erstwhile PUBG. The game surpassed 200 Mn downloads in the country in 2024, with usage trends further climbing in the country. Sohn said that the company is also looking at launching “another hit” game in India in the near future. 

KRAFTON plans to double down on India as its growth slows in China and the US, the Financial Times report added. Meanwhile, KRAFTON’s India business has seen strong growth in recent years. In 2024, the company said that BGMI played a key role in it posting 35.7% year-on-year mobile revenue growth during the year. With this, the company said India was then among its top five revenue-generating global markets. 

“India remains one of KRAFTON’s leading strategic markets, with plans to strengthen BGMI’s presence through large-scale content updates and region-specific strategies. KRAFTON also plans to push long-term growth in India by increasing publishing efforts and exploring new business opportunities,” the company said in its 2024 disclosures.

KRAFTON seems to have already finalised its active acquisition and investment strategy in the country. For instance, it announced the launch of its second cohort in April to nurture six Indian game development startups by providing access to its tech tools and financial assistance, among others. Besides, it also acquired a controlling stake in Pune-based game development studio Nautilus Mobile with an additional investment of INR 118 Cr earlier this year. 

With more than 500 Mn digital gamers today, India’s $3.7 Bn gaming industry is estimated to reach $9.1 Bn by 2029, according to the India Gaming Report 2025.

The Krafton India CEO’s statement comes at a time when the Indian gaming market is going through a significant rejig post the ban on real money gaming after the passage of the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025’ last month. 

Besides the ban on real money gaming, the government aims to promote esports and social & casual gaming. KRAFTON would look to capitalise on these segments in India.