Game publishing company and PUBG owner KRAFTON’s Indian entity has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), which is housed within India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to promote various aspects of digital entertainment.

Under this MoU, KRAFTON India will work with the DPIIT across digital entertainment, online social gaming, esports, interactive media, and artificial intelligence.

The agreement, according to a gaming company press release yesterday, was signed by Vibhor Kukreti, Head of Government Relations, KRAFTON India, and TLK. Singh, Deputy Secretary, DPIIT, in the presence of senior officials from both the organisations.

The partnership will explore opportunities to organize innovation challenges under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge and host targeted hackathons to address industry-specific challenges. Both organizations will also collaborate on workshops, roundtables and masterclasses to build capabilities in game design, animation, immersive technologies, esports management, AI applications and digital production frameworks.

This, according to the company, builds on its long-term investments in India’s gaming and startup ecosystem, reflecting its continued role as an active ecosystem enabler.

The pact also aims to enable engagement with startups across digital entertainment, online social gaming, esports, interactive media, and AI domains, facilitating industry exposure and potential collaboration opportunities. It will further support curated industry interactions and virtual forums to provide exposure to global trends and practices.

Both the organisations will also work together to promote awareness of global best practices in AI-enabled technologies, digital safety frameworks, and responsible innovation, while facilitating participation in relevant Startup India initiatives and sectoral programs contributing to the long-term development and expansion of the ecosystem.

Speaking on the occasion, DPIIT Joint Secretary Sanjiv said that this collaboration with KRAFTON India represents a significant step towards strengthening India’s digital and creative economy. He emphasized that partnerships with global leaders in digital entertainment will enable startups to innovate, scale, and build globally competitive solutions in emerging technology domains.

Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, KRAFTON India, said, “India stands at a pivotal moment in the evolution of its digital entertainment ecosystem, with the potential to become a global centre for innovation and content creation. At KRAFTON India, we see this as an opportunity to go beyond market growth and actively contribute to building the capabilities, talent, and infrastructure that will define the industry’s future.”

With this collaboration, KRAFTON India continues to deepen its engagement in India as both a key market and a growing centre for creation, working closely with institutional partners to support the ecosystem’s next phase of development.

Headquartered in Korea, KRAFTON, Inc. is a global game developer and publisher dedicated to pioneering games. Founded in 2007, KRAFTON brings together a diverse portfolio of studios including PUBG STUDIOS, Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds, Neon Giant, KRAFTON Montréal Studio, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, 5minlab, Dreamotion, ReLU Games, Flyway Games, Tango Gameworks, inZOI Studio, JOFSOFT, Eleventh Hour Games, OmniCraft Labs, Olivetree Games, Loonshot Games, and 9B STUDIO.