Why Krafton "made a sizeable bet" on India
The launch of PUBG Mobile, later redeveloped into Battlegrounds Mobile India after it was banned by the government, was a turning point for that nation's games industry.
Still one of the nation's most popular games, BGMI is handled by Krafton India – the Korean publisher's subsidiary dedicated to this region – and continues to drive the company's strategy in the area.
During my time at India Game Developer Conference, I caught up with Krafton India CEO Sean (Hyunil) Sohn, who is also in charge of operations in MENA and previously worked at the company's headquarters.
Our conversation explored how the PUBG firm approaches this market, the opportunities that lie ahead, and how India fits into Krafton's global strategy. The interview below has been edited for brevity and clarity.
How big a market is India for Krafton?
So it's been three and a half years since we started the operation in India. The main product that we are servicing is BGMI – Battlegrounds Mobile India – which is the Indian version of PUBG Mobile. That accounts for more than 95% of our revenue from India.
We also have a corporate development team which has invested roughly $170 million into India's startup ecosystem, including gaming, esports and also digital content platforms. So that's a quick summary of what we are doing in India.
When it comes to global revenues, India accounts for roughly 10%, give or take. Not as big as Korea, China or the US, but the market is growing at double digits while the global gaming market – especially more mature markets like China or the US – grows only maybe 3% or 4% per year.
Compared to other global gaming companies, we made a sizable bet on the India market, and we have a sizable team based out of Bangalore.
What have been the biggest lessons you've learned since setting up in India?
For the publishing side, one of the lessons that we learned – I mean, we kind of knew it before, but now we know it much more clearly – is that India is still yet to develop a more [varied
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