Krafton plans to invest $150 million in Indian startups in the next 2-3 years, taking advantage of the country’s potential as a global gaming hub. The company is satisfied with its current investments, which have generated significant revenue.
The pledge for the new investment is in addition to the $140 million that Krafton has already invested in 11 Indian startups since March 2021. Some of these notable startups include Nodwin Gaming, a leading esports company that is a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies; Pratilipi, a self-publishing platform for writers and readers; KukuFM, a podcast platform that offers audio content in regional languages; and Loco, a live game streaming platform that was recently acquired by online gaming platform Pocket Aces.
Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of Krafton India, was quoted saying, “We are excited to foster the growth of startup ecosystem in India and are dedicated to having a transformative impact not only in the gaming and tech industry but also in the wider content landscape. We firmly believe in India’s potential as a key player in the global gaming and technology industry, and our commitment to invest an additional $150 million over the next two to three years reflects our dedication to fuelling this growth”.
Krafton has been slowly expanding its portfolio in India as well. BGMI, which is a localized version of PUBG Mobile that was banned by the Indian government last year, came back recently post securing permission to relaunch. A few days back, it also launched a new game called ‘Defense Derby’ in India, a title based on tower defence genre.
The company has also announced various initiatives to support the Indian gaming community in the past, such as esports tournaments, content creator programs and social responsibility campaigns.