Krafton plans to invest another $250 million in India over the next three to four years, TechCrunch reports, expanding a country strategy that now reaches beyond games into AI, robotics, and deep tech. The South Korean gaming company, best known for PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India, said the new commitment will take its total planned investment in India to more than $500 million. According to TechCrunch, that includes more than $250 million already invested in the country since 2021. The new pledge is separate from another India vehicle Krafton joined late last year. TechCrunch reports that Krafton, South Korean internet company Naver, and investor Mirae Asset unveiled a $670 million India-focused growth fund in December 2025. Krafton previously said it would contribute around $137 million at the fund’s first close, and the company confirmed to TechCrunch that the latest $250 million commitment is not part of that fund. India has become one of Krafton’s most important markets because of its scale: TechCrunch cites more than a billion internet subscribers and more than 700 million smartphone users in the country. Krafton’s India business was built around gaming, led by BGMI, a localized and revamped version of PUBG that TechCrunch says has passed 260 million downloads. That India strategy has also required regulatory rebuilding. The Indian government banned PUBG Mobile in 2020 alongside hundreds of Chinese-linked apps as tensions between New Delhi and Beijing rose. Krafton later introduced BGMI in 2021, dropped Tencent Games as the title’s India publisher, and moved India servers to Microsoft’s Azure cloud, changes TechCrunch says were part of the company’s effort to address New Delhi’s concerns. BGMI itself was banned in India in 2022 before the federal government allowed it to return the following year on a three-month trial basis, according to TechCrunch. Krafton has continued investing around the franchise and plans to launch BGMI Lite in India by the end of 2026. The company’s India portfolio now extends well outside one game. TechCrunch reports that Krafton has backed about 18 companies in the country, including four to five gaming studios, with investments in Nodwin Gaming, Loco, Pratilipi, Kuku FM, and One Impression. It also acquired Pune-based Nautilus Mobile, the studio behind the Real Cricket franchise, last year. The announcement followed a meeting earlier Friday between Krafton chairman Byung Gyu Chang and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, TechCrunch reports. Krafton said the discussion covered closer India-South Korea cooperation across gaming, technology, and other emerging sectors. Krafton is also building local talent infrastructure. TechCrunch notes the company recently launched KIGI Academy, an industry-academia program focused on training people in game development and digital creation. Who benefits: Indian startups in gaming, media, AI, robotics, and deep tech could see another dedicated strategic investor active in the market. Krafton also benefits if it can turn BGMI’s distribution and local relationships into a wider India platform. Who's exposed: Krafton remains exposed to India’s regulatory environment, given the prior bans affecting PUBG Mobile and BGMI. Local rivals and other strategic investors may face more competition for deals in the sectors Krafton is targeting.