India can improve its eGame with government assistance: CEO of Krafton India

Bengaluru: Krafton India chief executive Sean Hyunil Sohn has called for more aggressive government policies and early-stage financial support to help the country compete with global leaders in the gaming industry.

Speaking on the sidelines of GAFX 2026 — a three-day conference focused on animation, visual effects, gaming, comics (AVGC) and extended reality in Bengaluru — Sohn welcomed the government’s recent budget announcements for the sector but said stronger measures are needed to unlock its full potential.

“We welcome the recent initiatives for the industry announced in the budget. But to deliver the growth the industry expects, the government needs to go further with stronger policies and early-stage grants for upcoming players,” Sohn said.

In the Union Budget 2026-27, the government announced plans to establish 15,000 AVGC content creator labs across schools and colleges, allocating ₹250 crore for talent development in the fiscal year.

However, Sohn stressed that India must adopt a more proactive approach if it aims to match global gaming powerhouses such as the US, parts of Europe and China. Drawing parallels with South Korea’s rapid gaming industry expansion in the early 2000s, he said policy support and calculated risk-taking by the government were crucial in building a globally competitive ecosystem.

His remarks come amid regulatory tightening in India’s real-money gaming (RMG) segment. While RMG companies face increased scrutiny, non-RMG firms like Krafton are expanding their presence in the country.

Krafton, best known for developing Battlegrounds Mobile India, which has crossed 250 million downloads in India, has invested more than $200 million in the country since 2021. The company acquired a 75% stake in Pune-based studio Nautilus Mobile in March last year. Nautilus is the developer of Real Cricket, one of India’s most-played cricket-themed mobile games.

In addition, Krafton, along with Naver and Mirae Asset, is setting up an India-focused fund targeting up to ₹6,000 crore to back growth-stage technology companies across Asia.

Sohn also identified user-generated content (UGC) as the next major growth driver for the gaming industry. Platforms such as Minecraft and Roblox have lowered entry barriers, enabling independent creators — including teenagers — to develop and publish games.

“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 noted that several Indian studios have already launched games on Roblox and are generating meaningful revenue, underscoring the scale of the opportunity.

According to Sohn, combining UGC platforms with artificial intelligence tools can help Indian developers bridge quality gaps and build commercially viable games. “These platforms and tools enable them to reach a larger global audience and test their ability to create something truly great,” he added.