India gaming: Krafton launches gaming incubator to nurture gaming, development talent, expand ecosystem

Krafton India has launched an initiative to bolster the gaming ecosystem in the country and nurture local talent venturing into the burgeoning gaming industry. The program, known as the Krafton India Gaming Incubator (KIGI), has been introduced with the goal of supporting between six to ten teams on an annual basis.

The program’s duration can vary from six months to one year, with selected participants receiving essential guidance, mentorship, and access to Krafton’s resources. The financial support, which can range from $50,000 to $150,000, is allocated based on the specific needs of the participants.

Krafton India, renowned for the recent revival of the popular mobile title BGMI, is actively seeking early-stage Indian startups, those in the conceptual stage, student teams, and independent developers for inclusion in the KIGI program. These chosen participants will benefit from mentorship provided by a diverse range of experts from the gaming industry, including game developers and professionals hailing from South Korea and India.

Furthermore, Krafton will provide access to its internal resources, such as data and market research, to aid participants in developing their gaming products tailored for both the Indian and global markets.

Sean Hyunil Sohn, the CEO of Krafton India, emphasized the immense demand for gaming content in India, suggesting that the supply side of the industry is still in the process of maturing. While acknowledging the presence of many promising startups and developers of various sizes, Sohn pointed out a need for greater diversity within the ecosystem.

The head of Krafton’s incubator program, Anuj Sahani, a former producer at Gameloft and Electronic Arts, and other Krafton executives, will be responsible for selecting participants who meet the company’s global standards.

However, it’s important to note that Krafton India will not consider developers or startups involved in real money gaming (RMG) or gambling content, in line with evolving government regulations in this area.

After completing the incubator program, participants will have the opportunity to secure capital from institutional investors. Krafton can also provide funding through its committed investments for the Indian market, which includes a recent commitment of $150 million, on top of prior investments totaling around $140 million in 11 Indian startups and the local ecosystem over the past three years. The funding for the incubator program will be separate from these earlier investment commitments.

Sohn indicated that the incubation program may also serve as a means to identify potential startups and teams that Krafton could consider acquiring to expand its presence in the Indian market. He referred to the program as a “beacon for the identification of game development teams in India” with a much broader scope than typical investment initiatives.

This move by Krafton India comes at a time when the company is expanding its portfolio of mobile titles in India, including New State Mobile and Road to Valor: Empires, even though BGMI remains its most popular title in the country.

Key experts like Dave Curd, the creative director of PUBG Corporation, and Harns Kim, the game producer at Krafton, will mentor and guide the teams and individuals participating in Krafton’s incubator program. The program will be conducted virtually and will include seminars and community events to help participants build networks while comfortably developing games.

(With inputs from agencies)