Tencent’s India Re-Entry Plans In Choppy Waters, Group Seeks Ban On Its Undawn Game

Chinese tech giant Tencent seems to have run into trouble in India just a couple of days after its re-entry into the country. A non-profit organisation PRAHAR (Public Response Against Helplessness and Action for Redressal) on Saturday (June 17) sought an immediate ban on the game publisher’s latest game ‘Undawn’, which was launched in India on June 15. 

In a letter written to the Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the organisation called for a ban on the game under Section 69A of the IT Act. 

PRAHAR said that the game is detrimental to the country’s sovereignty and national security, adding that Tencent ‘chose’ to launch the military style game on the anniversary of Galwan clashes, which saw Chinese army attacking Indian soldiers.

“We request you (the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)) take action to immediately ban this game under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, as it threatens the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, and public order,” PRAHAR said. 

PRAHAR’s national convener and national president Abhay Mishra said that the country has to be ‘watchful’ of Chinese soft influence, coupled with Beijing’s technology invasion and trade dominance. He added that Indians need to ‘vehemently restrain any attack, hard or soft, on the country’s sovereignty and security’.

“The launch of the Undawn game is an insult to India, to our brave soldiers and to our people. It is hurtful to the sentiments of Indians. Our children should not be allowed to play this game and come under the Chinese soft influence,” added Mishra. 

The letter also claims that Undawn gameplay includes weapons used by Chinese forces to attack Indian soldiers during the Galwan incident. 

The development comes just a couple of days after Tencent made its Undawn game live in the Indian market on June 15. This came nearly three years after Tencent delisted all of its apps and games from app marketplaces after Indian authorities banned multiple Chinese apps over national security concerns.

Back then, the apps that were banned included PUBG Mobile, which was created by Tencent in partnership with South Korean gaming giant Krafton. The latter has since cut all ties with the former to relaunch PUBG in India. 

The Chinese tech giant has since re-calibrated its strategy and has now entered the Indian gaming market via its Singapore and Amsterdam-based game publishing arm, Level Infinite.

With this, Tencent aims to tap into the lucrative Indian gaming space which has seen a major boom in the past few years on the back of cheap smartphones and affordable internet subscriptions. 

The country is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets in the world and accounted for a total revenue of INR 13,500 Cr at the end of 2022.