Krafton Doubles Down on India with $50 Million Annual Investment Commitment

Krafton — the name behind PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) — is going all-in on India. The South Korean publisher has announced plans to invest at least $50 million every year into the Indian market, with acquisitions also on the table to boost its footprint.

India quickly climbed into Krafton’s top five global markets, thanks to the massive success of PUBG Mobile and its local rebrand, BGMI. With growth slowing in places like China and the U.S., India is now the company’s next big bet.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Krafton India head Sean Sohn admitted the real challenge is chasing another blockbuster like PUBG. “It is not easy to come up with a big hit like Battlegrounds again. But it is our key challenge to develop another hit game,” he said.

And the timing couldn’t be better. India’s gaming scene is booming — 444 million gamers last year, up 12% from the year before, according to Niko Partners. Sure, the country’s gaming revenue still lags behind giants like South Korea’s $14.4 billion industry, but the potential is massive.

Why? Because 65% of India’s 1.4 billion people are under 35. That’s a huge pool of potential players. Sohn also pointed out that Indian gamers are careful with spending, but once they’re hooked, they stick around. BGMI’s 200 million users are proof of that loyalty — and they’ve helped India contribute around 10% of Krafton’s $1.1 billion revenue in the first half of 2025.

Krafton’s India push isn’t just about games. The company’s already poured nearly $200 million into the broader digital ecosystem, backing gaming studios and fintech startups. Earlier this year, it acquired Nautilus Mobile, the cricket game developer, for $14 million and joined a $53 million funding round for Cashfree Payments.

Interestingly, this expansion comes right after India’s government banned all real-money online games — a move that hit platforms like Dream11, MPL, and WinZO hard. But Krafton’s free-to-play model keeps it in the clear, giving it a wide-open runway to grow even more.