Key facts
- Krafton will invest an additional $250 million in India over the next three to four years.
- This brings Krafton's total planned investment in India to over $500 million.
- The company is expanding its focus beyond gaming into AI, robotics, and deep tech.
- Krafton has backed about 18 companies in India, including gaming studios and tech startups.
- Krafton chairman Byung Gyu Chang met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss collaboration.
South Korean gaming giant Krafton is significantly increasing its investment in India, pledging an additional $250 million over the next three to four years. This new commitment expands the company's strategic focus beyond its successful gaming ventures, such as PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), into emerging sectors like artificial intelligence, robotics, and deep technology.
With this latest pledge, Krafton's total planned investment in India surpasses $500 million, building on over $250 million already invested since 2021. The funds are separate from a $670 million India-focused growth fund announced in December 2025, to which Krafton committed approximately $137 million. India represents a crucial market for Krafton, offering access to a vast user base of over a billion internet subscribers and more than 700 million smartphone users.
Krafton's journey in India has faced regulatory hurdles, including the ban of PUBG Mobile in 2020 and BGMI in 2022, before its conditional return. Despite these challenges, the company has continued to invest, backing around 18 Indian startups, including gaming studios like Nodwin Gaming and Loco, and content platforms like Pratilipi and Kuku FM. The recent investment announcement follows a meeting between Krafton chairman Byung Gyu Chang and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where opportunities for bilateral cooperation in gaming and technology were discussed.
Beyond investments, Krafton is strengthening its local presence by acquiring Pune-based Nautilus Mobile, the studio behind the Real Cricket franchise, and launching KIGI Academy to train talent in game development and digital creation.