As India’s gaming ecosystem continues to expand, industry leaders are calling for deeper policy support to help the country compete with global gaming markets. Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn said stronger government intervention and early-stage funding will be critical to unlocking the sector’s full potential.
Speaking on the sidelines of GAFX 2026, a 3-day conference focused on animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality held in Bengaluru, Sohn said, “We welcome the recent initiatives for the industry announced in the budget,” but added that more aggressive policies and grants are needed to support emerging players.
“Government and public institutions in India have not been very supportive of the gaming industry in certain cases…you have to take certain risks, within reasonable limits, to create opportunities that might not otherwise exist,” he said.
The South Korean gaming company is best known for developing Battlegrounds Mobile India, which has crossed 100 million registered users in the country. The company reported annual revenue of approximately $2.56 billion in FY 2025.
In the Union Budget for 2026-27, the government announced plans to set up 15,000 AVGC content creator labs across schools and colleges, allocating Rs 250 crore for talent development in the sector.
“If India wants to catch up with the global top players, countries like the US, parts of Europe and maybe China, the government needs to be truly aggressive,” Sohn said, pointing to South Korea’s early 2000s gaming policy push as an example.
His remarks come amid regulatory scrutiny of the real-money gaming segment, while non-RMG companies like Krafton continue expanding their India investments. The company acquired a 75% stake in Pune-based Nautilus Mobile in March last year and has invested over $200 million in India since 2021. Nautilus Mobile develops the Real Cricket mobile game, one of the country’s most-played cricket-based titles.
Krafton, along with Naver and Mirae Asset, is also setting up an India-focused fund targeting up to Rs 6,000 crore to support growth-stage technology companies across Asia.
Sohn highlighted user-generated content as the next major growth driver. Platforms like Minecraft and Roblox are enabling independent creators to build and publish games more easily. “As a teenager, you can create something on your own, put it on a platform and invite friends to play. That wasn’t possible before,” he said.
He added that combining UGC platforms with AI tools can help Indian developers improve quality and reach global audiences.
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