Krafton commits another $250m to India, taking total past $500m
BGMI maker Krafton plans to invest a further $250m in India over three to four years, widening its focus from gaming into AI, robotics and deep tech.
South Korean publisher Krafton, which makes Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), announced on 4 September 2026 that it will put a further $250 million into India over the next three to four years. TechCrunch reports that this brings the company's total commitment to the country to more than $500 million.
Krafton has invested over $250 million in India since 2021. The new money will not all go into games. The company says it will also back startups in AI, robotics and deep tech.
Krafton's existing India portfolio
- About 18 companies so far, four or five of which are game studios, plus esports firm Nodwin Gaming, streaming platform Loco, Pratilipi, Kuku FM and One Impression.
- In March 2025 it bought a controlling stake in Pune-based Nautilus Mobile, the studio behind Real Cricket, for $14 million.
- Krafton is also contributing about $137 million to a $670 million India-focused growth fund that it set up with Naver and Mirae Asset in December 2025.
- It runs KIGI Academy, which trains people in game development and digital content creation.
BGMI has now passed 260 million downloads, and Krafton plans to release a lighter version, BGMI Lite, before the end of 2026. Krafton chairman Chang Byung-gyu also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk about gaming and technology.
Why it matters
Since India's real-money gaming ban, the main risk capital still coming into Indian games has been from strategic investors. Krafton is one of the largest of these. A bigger fund that also covers AI tools could reach the wider South Asian developer community over time, though the company has not said how much of the new money will go to game studios.
Source: TechCrunch
