R&D Center to Be Established in India by Krafton, Creator of PUBG and BGMI

Nitin Konde, Bhoraniya Huda Hifzur Rehman

Aug 13, 2024 — 2 min read

R&D Center to Be Established in India by Krafton, Creator of PUBG and BGMI

According to Sean Hyunil Sohn, the CEO of KRAFTON's India business, the developer of PUBG and BGMI, plans to establish a research and development facility in India by the end of the year in order to create games that are reflective of Indian culture. The chief executive officer of KRAFTON India, Sohn, stated that while the specifics of the plant have not been decided upon yet, Bangalore and Pune are among the most attractive sites.

"Whether we import them from abroad or develop them in-house, we will keep releasing games in the Indian market".

While speaking on the fringes of IDGS Gaming Conclave, he promised to "do our best" to establish a high-quality development team in India and create games inspired by Indian culture.

India Being a Major Market for the Company

In an earlier interview with a media agency, Sohn had said that India had one of the company's top three user bases among its territories.

Video games and other forms of digital entertainment are very popular in India.

"I believe there is a shortage of supply of high-quality talent into the ecosystem, which has numerous causes, yet we have witnessed a very quick growth rate on an annual basis. People may not fully grasp gaming as a legitimate and serious job after learning just a brief overview of the industry's history".

On top of that, he complained that the country's basic information technology infrastructure for education was underfunded, despite its large and youthful population.

How Gaming Industry Could Be the Game Changer?

Promoting and changing public opinion about the gaming business is crucial because it has the potential to have a significant beneficial effect on the sector. The government ought to provide financial aid for schools.

"Having spoken with several of the younger here, I get the impression that both the home and school environments suffer from a lack of necessary infrastructure. Obviously, I could be completely wrong about the state of education in India".

Sohn also clarified that the lack of appropriate hardware prevented them from pursuing their interest in learning to code and create video games.

Despite the ease of access to knowledge and education in the modern day, he emphasised that the methods and reasoning behind them are equally important.

KRAFTON intends to invest an extra $150 million in Indian businesses over the next two to three years, adding to the $160 million it has already invested in Indian entrepreneurs since 2021.

The KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator program was established earlier this year by the company to assist talented Indian game creators. The initiative offers financing, mentorship, and other necessary tools to these developers.