Krafton Inc., publisher of global hit “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” (PUBG), has selected six new Indian game studios for its gaming startup incubation program, intensifying efforts to establish itself in one of the world’s fastest-growing gaming markets.
The selected studios for the second cohort of the Krafton India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) include Kleanup Games, Advaita Interactive, Singular Scheme, Smash Head Studio, Unwind Games and Ginger Games. These developers will receive up to $150,000 in funding and structured mentorship for six months to one year.
This expansion follows Krafton’s recent acquisition of a controlling stake in Indian game developer Nautilus Mobile for $14 million in March, increasing its ownership to “north of 75%” in the Pune-based studio known for its popular Real Cricket franchise.
The South Korean gaming giant has invested approximately $170 million in several Indian startups across gaming and interactive entertainment since 2021. The KIGI program, launched in 2023, previously supported four studios, including ReDimension Games and Shura Games.
“At KIGI, we are dedicated to unlocking new opportunities for gaming startups to thrive,” said Anuj Sahani, head of Krafton India Incubator Program. The company has partnered with AWS, AccelByte, AppMagic and Liftoff’s GameRefinery to provide cloud services, analytics tools and marketing insights to participants.
Krafton’s “Battlegrounds Mobile India” (BGMI) has become one of India’s most popular games since launching in July 2021, with the company now looking to diversify its intellectual property portfolio in the rapidly growing South Asian market.
