India lifts ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India, announces three-month trial approval
Battlegrounds Mobile India, the Indian version of PUBG Mobile, has been approved to be relaunched in the country. This follows a 10-month ban the Indian government has imposed on the game over national security concerns.
On May 19, Krafton announced that Indian authorities allowed the company to resume operations of Battlegrounds Mobile India. The game should soon be available for download on the App Store and Google Play.
“We are deeply committed to the Indian gaming ecosystem,” Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn said. “Our approach has always been India-first, which serves as the foundation of all our efforts. We believe in investing in the Indian gaming industry and contributing to building a vibrant ecosystem that fosters growth and innovation.”
Krafton managed to comply with the country’s requirements and solve data security issues. However, details about the changes remain undisclosed.
Shortly after the announcement, Indian deputy Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar clarified that the ban hadn’t been completely lifted. Instead, the country provided Krafton with a three-month trial approval, during which the South Korean publisher will continue to work with Indian authorities on issues related to user harm, addiction, and more.
If this trial period is successful, India will make a final decision in favor of Battlegrounds Mobile India.
This is a 3 month trial approval of #BGMI aftr it has complied wth issues of server locations n data security etc.
We will keep a close watch on other issues of User harm, Addiction etc in next 3 months before a final decision is taken @GoI_MeitY @PMOIndia https://t.co/9SrYekrHXz
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) May 19, 2023
India first banned PUBG Mobile in 2020, along with 116 other mobile apps affiliated with China. The main issue was that the game was developed and operated by Tencent, so the company had to find a workaround to bypass the restrictions.
In 2021, Krafton relaunched its global hit as Battlegrounds Mobile India and made some changes to comply with the country’s policies. However, India once again banned the game last July over concerns that sharing data with China could jeopardize national security.
Krafton plans to continue investing in the Indian games industry and building partnerships with local authorities. The company has already invested over $100 million in the country’s gaming and esports startups.
