Krafton India Launches Incubator to Boost Local Game Devs

Krafton India is stepping up its commitment to the South Asian gaming market with the launch of the Krafton India Gaming Incubator (KIGI). The initiative aims to cultivate domestic talent by providing mentorship, technical resources, and capital to early-stage startups, student teams, and independent developers.

Supporting the Next Generation of Indian Developers

The program will select between six and 10 teams annually, with individual projects lasting from six months to a year. Participants can receive financial backing ranging from $50,000 to $150,000, depending on the specific needs of their development cycle. The funding for this incubator remains separate from Krafton’s existing investment commitments in the region.

Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of Krafton India, noted that while the demand for gaming content in India is surging, the supply side of the ecosystem lacks diversity. “There are many great startups and small- to medium-sized and large-size game developers, but I think in the ecosystem, there is a lack of diversity,” Sohn said.

A Platform-Agnostic Approach

Unlike some industry programs restricted to specific engines or mobile platforms, KIGI is platform-agnostic. Teams are encouraged to build for PC and consoles, moving beyond the mobile-first focus that dominates the Indian market. However, the program explicitly excludes developers focused on real money gaming (RMG) or gambling content, aligning with shifting regulatory landscapes in the country.

To lead the program, Krafton has appointed Anuj Sahani, a veteran producer formerly with Electronic Arts and Gameloft. Mentorship will be provided by a roster of global experts, including:

• Dave Curd, Creative Director at PUBG Corporation and former art director at Raven Software.
• Harns Kim, Game Producer at Krafton and former live service producer of TERA at Bluehole Studio.

Strategic Growth in a Mobile-First Market

Market intelligence firm Niko Partners projects that India’s video game revenue will reach $868 million in 2023, a 21.2% year-on-year increase. With an estimated 444 million gamers in the country, the potential for expansion remains significant.

Krafton, which is the publisher of the widely popular mobile title BGMI, views the incubator as a way to identify potential acquisition targets while fostering a broader variety of genres. “We can call it a beacon for the identification of game development teams in India,” Sohn added. “It has a much better, much larger bandwidth than a typical investment.”

Interested developers can submit their entries starting today through the official KIGI website. The program will operate virtually, incorporating seminars and community events to facilitate networking alongside the core development work.