Krafton India to launch third edition of gaming incubator KIGI on Sept 20

Krafton India will open registrations for the third edition of its gaming incubator programme, KIGI, on September 20 to support local studios with funding, mentorship, and resources

Krafton India, the developer and publisher of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), is launching the third cohort of its gaming incubator programme, with registrations opening on September 20.

 

So far, 10 studios have been part of the previous two cohorts of the programme, known as the Krafton India Gaming Incubator (KIGI), which started in 2023.

 

The company said four studios from the first cohort have soft-launched their games, while the six from the second cohort continue to be under development.

 

KIGI provides financial assistance between $50,000 and $150,000, mentorship from industry veterans from India and South Korea, and access to Krafton’s resources.

 

It also enables studios to explore opportunities related to publishing, venture capital funding, and potential equity investment from Krafton, headquartered in South Korea.

 

“Through KIGI, we’re strengthening the local ecosystem and supporting studios that will define the future of gaming from India,” said Sean Hyunil Sohn, chief executive officer (CEO), Krafton India. 

 

With its technology infrastructure partnerships, Krafton provides participating studios with assistance in areas such as cloud infrastructure, backend integration, game analytics, user acquisition, and AI-driven playtesting.

 

It has arrangements with companies including Google Cloud, AWS (Amazon Web Services), AccelByte, Lysto, AppMagic, and Liftoff’s GameRefinery.

 

“With each cohort, KIGI is proving that world-class games can be built right here in India. We’ve created an ecosystem that gives creators what they need to turn big ideas into scalable, successful games,” said Anuj Sahani, head of KIGI.

 

Since 2021, Krafton has invested over $170 million in Indian start-ups across interactive entertainment, gaming, esports, and technology.

 

In India, BGMI has crossed 200 million downloads, while Krafton has also launched other games such as Bullet Echo India, Road To Valor: Empires, and CookieRun India.