South Korean gaming company Krafton is expanding its operations in India beyond gaming into AI, robotics, and deep tech. The company announced that it will invest an additional $250 million in India over the next three to four years, bringing its total planned investment in the country to over $500 million.
Krafton confirmed to TechCrunch that this new commitment is separate from its prior involvement in establishing an Indian growth fund. In December 2025, Krafton, along with South Korean internet group Naver and Mirae Asset, launched a $670 million growth fund focused on India, at which time it stated it would contribute approximately $137 million in the initial fundraising round.
India has become a core market.
India has become one of Krafton’s key markets. For this gaming company, the large base of internet and smartphone users in the region continues to provide room for growth.
Krafton initially built its business around gaming in India, with its core product being Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), which has accumulated over 260 million downloads. In recent years, the company has also expanded its operations beyond gaming into broader technology sectors through investments in startups.
Has experienced two regulatory setbacks
In 2020, amid heightened tensions with China, the Indian government banned several apps associated with China, including PUBG Mobile. Following this, Krafton took over the distribution in India and launched BGMI in 2021.
In response to concerns from India, Krafton revoked Tencent Games' role as the publisher in India and migrated local servers to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. However, in 2022, BGMI was temporarily banned again, and it was only permitted to return in early 2023 under a three-month trial period. The company plans to launch BGMI Lite in India by the end of 2026.
The investment scope is no longer limited to gaming.
Krafton stated that the company has currently invested in approximately 18 enterprises in India, including four to five game studios. Portfolio companies include Nodwin Gaming, Loco, Pratilipi, Kuku FM, and One Impression.
Prior to the announcement of this additional investment, Krafton Chairman Byung-Kyu Chang met with Indian Prime Minister Modi earlier that day in New Delhi. The company stated that both parties discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation between India and South Korea in gaming, technology, and other emerging industries.
Additional information: Krafton acquired Nautilus Mobile, a studio based in Pune that developed the Real Cricket series, last year. The company has recently launched KIGI Academy, aimed at training talent in game development and digital creation.