Krafton, the South Korean gaming giant behind PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), is preparing for another major investment push in India. The company plans to invest $250 million in the country over the next three to four years, as it expands beyond gaming into areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and deep technology.
The announcement came after Krafton chairman Byung Gyu Chang met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on September 4. The company said India remains a strategically important market because of its growing pool of talent across technology, gaming and innovation.
“India is a market of immense opportunity, with exceptional talent across gaming, technology and innovation,” Chang said, according to PTI. He added that Krafton’s continued investments reflect its long-term confidence in India and its commitment to the country’s digital economy.
Credits: Bumppy
Krafton’s India Investment Gets Bigger
The latest $250 million commitment comes on top of Krafton’s earlier plans to support Indian startups and technology companies.
In December 2025, Krafton joined hands with South Korean internet giant Naver and investment firm Mirae Asset to establish a $670 million India-focused growth fund. Krafton had committed around $137 million at the fund’s first close.
However, the new $250 million investment is separate from that fund, according to a TechCrunch report. This effectively gives Krafton another significant pool of capital to expand its presence in India’s rapidly developing technology ecosystem.
The move also signals a broader change in Krafton’s India strategy. While BGMI remains at the center of its business, the company is increasingly positioning itself as an investor and technology player rather than simply a gaming publisher.
From BGMI to India’s Startup Ecosystem
Krafton entered India primarily through gaming, with BGMI becoming its flagship product. The localized version of PUBG Mobile has now crossed 260 million downloads, making India one of the company’s most important markets.
But Krafton has gradually diversified its activities. The company has invested in around 18 Indian companies, including several gaming studios, while backing startups across different sectors.
Its Indian portfolio includes companies such as Nodwin Gaming, Loco, Pratilipi, Kuku FM and One Impression. Krafton also acquired Pune-based gaming studio Nautilus Mobile, the developer behind the popular Real Cricket franchise.
The company has simultaneously been investing in talent development. Its KIGI Academy, an industry-academia initiative, aims to train students and aspiring professionals in game development and digital creation.
This combination of investments, acquisitions and talent programmes suggests that Krafton sees India not just as a market for selling games, but as a potential source of technology, talent and innovation.
Krafton Looks Beyond Gaming
Krafton’s decision to explore AI, robotics and deep tech could represent its biggest strategic shift in India yet.
India has become increasingly attractive to global technology companies looking for engineering talent, startup opportunities and emerging applications of AI. For Krafton, investing in these areas could also create opportunities that complement its gaming business, from artificial intelligence and digital content to advanced computing and robotics.
The company’s expansion comes despite a complicated history for PUBG in India.
Credits: TechCrunch
BGMI Lite Could Return in 2026
Krafton is also planning to launch BGMI Lite in India by the end of 2026, according to the report.
The company’s India journey took a major hit in 2020 when the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile and hundreds of other Chinese-linked applications amid heightened tensions between India and China.
Krafton responded by localising its operations and eventually launched BGMI in 2021. It also moved its India game servers to Microsoft Azure and made changes to its publishing arrangements for the Indian market.
Now, with hundreds of millions of BGMI downloads and another $250 million investment on the way, Krafton appears to be betting that its future in India will be considerably bigger than gaming.
The company’s next chapter could see the PUBG maker evolve into a broader technology and investment powerhouse in India, with gaming serving as just the starting point.
