Krafton Commits Another $250 Million to Expand Beyond Gaming in India
South Korean gaming company Krafton is putting another $250 million into India, extending its ambitions beyond video games and taking its total planned investment in the country to more than $500 million since 2021. The new commitment will target technology and creative businesses across areas including artificial intelligence, deep tech, fintech, digital content and consumer services. The move gives Krafton a broader role in India's technology ecosystem at a time when the company is looking beyond its established gaming business. Its India strategy began largely around Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), but investments in local startups have gradually become an important part of its presence in the country.
Krafton expands its India investment strategy
Krafton had already invested more than $250 million in India since 2021, according to TechCrunch. The latest $250 million commitment will bring the company's planned investment in the market to more than $500 million. The new money comes separately from the $670 million India-focused growth fund Krafton announced with South Korean internet company Naver and Mirae Asset in December 2025. Krafton said at the time that it would contribute about $137 million at the fund's first close. Through the new investment push, Krafton plans to look beyond gaming studios. The company is interested in startups developing products and services in sectors such as AI, deep technology, financial technology, education, entertainment and digital consumer businesses.
From BGMI to Indian startups
Gaming remains central to Krafton's Indian operations. Its biggest local success has been BGMI, the India-specific version of PUBG Mobile, which TechCrunch reports has crossed 260 million downloads. Krafton's path in India has also included some difficult periods. PUBG Mobile was banned in India in 2020 amid broader restrictions on Chinese-linked applications. Krafton later launched BGMI in 2021 after separating the Indian version from Tencent's publishing role and moving its India servers to Microsoft's Azure cloud.
BGMI was itself temporarily banned in 2022 before returning the following year. Krafton has continued developing the franchise and plans to launch BGMI Lite in India by the end of 2026. At the same time, the company has built a portfolio of Indian technology businesses. Krafton has invested in around 18 companies, including Nodwin Gaming, Loco, Pratilipi, Kuku FM and One Impression, with only around four or five of those investments focused specifically on gaming, according to the company.
India becomes more than a gaming market
Krafton's expanding investment strategy reflects a wider shift in how global technology companies view India. The country offers a large consumer base as well as a growing pool of startups working across software, AI, financial technology and digital media. Krafton has been gradually moving in this direction for several years. In 2022, the company said it had already invested more than $100 million in India and wanted to become more than just a gaming company. It later committed another $150 million in 2023 and continued backing Indian venture funds and startups.
The company's $670 million growth fund with Naver and Mirae Asset further broadened that approach, with the partners looking at technology startups beyond gaming. That makes the latest $250 million commitment less of a one-off investment and more of a continuation of Krafton's longer-term India strategy. The company is now looking to find businesses that can grow within India while also creating products for markets outside the country.
For Krafton, India is therefore becoming more than the home of one of its biggest mobile gaming franchises. The company is building a wider technology portfolio around the market, with the latest $250 million commitment giving it significantly more capital to pursue that strategy.
