India’s rapidly growing gaming sector reached a new milestone as KRAFTON India, a subsidiary of Korean-headquartered KRAFTON Inc., made its presence felt in Nagaland through a special roundtable event held at Hotel Vivor, Kohima. The visit aimed to raise awareness about the gaming industry—not just as entertainment, but as a viable career and development opportunity.
Saurabh Shah, Head of People Operations at KRAFTON India, said the company’s participation in a skill development conclave, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Indian Digital Gaming Society (IDGS), provided the perfect opportunity to connect with students from two different colleges in Nagaland over a two-day workshop.
He added that this sparked as an opportunity to come to Nagaland and share knowledge as well give orientation to the students while helping them understand what and why those opportunities are available in gaming sector.
Shah highlighted that a key reason for KRAFTON India’s focus on Nagaland is the KRAFTON India Incubation program. He disclosed that KRAFTON has already reached Nagaland through one of their incubators from Nagaland, Redimention Games, who have also integrated with KRAFTON India.
Explaining how KRAFTON India connects to Nagaland, Shah said the incubator from Nagaland, Redimention Games has incubated with KRAFTON for 9-12 months initially started with four people and has now grown to a team of nearly ten, operating locally but under the global KRAFTON banner in Kohima.
Describing his interaction with local students, Shah said it was “heartwarming” to witness their curiosity and smart questions about entering the gaming industry.
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From Nagaland’s standpoint, he noted that while students are aware of the gaming sector, there is a need for better guidance and understanding of the broader industry landscape. He added that across the country, there has been a significant paradigm shift in the gaming space over the past 3–4 years.
He recalled the conservation with the Prime Minister of India, where gaming was highlighted as a key growth enabler and the vision of creating games in India for the world was emphasized. He added that there was lot of emphasis about the heritage of the country and the local practices, and from that perspective, Nagaland is rightly positioned to explore those avenues where the world would play games which are developed in the country.
Manva Hunswadkar, Lead PR at KRAFTON India, echoed this sentiment, stating that the Northeast’s strong presence in art, music, and design makes it naturally inclined toward creative fields like gaming.
She highlighted that students or young professionals take on these passions very easily while gaming also slots itself into these industries.
Furthermore, she emphasized that Nagaland and other Northeastern states are well-positioned to thrive in the gaming industry; all that is needed now is the right opportunity.”
“ We create awareness that there are companies like KARFTON India that provide opportunities and they can trap them. There is a huge population in Nagaland that plays BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI),” she added.
With 230 million communities across India Playing BGMI, she highlighted that it validates that gaming has good penetration in this part of the country
Speaking on the importance of esports—now recognized under the Sports Authority of India—as a core pillar of KRAFTON India, she emphasized the company’s ‘Campus Tour’ program. This initiative is aimed at engaging students in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities by collaborating with universities, colleges, and esports clubs to promote competitive gaming. She highlighted that within just 6 to 8 months, the team has visited over 180 colleges, mostly tier 2-3 cities, reflecting the growing mainstream appeal of esports.
Karan Gaikwad, Lead – Product Management, KRAFTON India, highlighted the genuine interest and enthusiasm from students in Nagaland. When companies see skill and value in a region, opportunities will follow, he said, expressing optimism about the potential talent pool in the state.
Dedicated to cultivating an exciting and enduring presence in India’s gaming domain, KRAFTON INDIA is a division of the Korean-headquartered KRAFTON Inc. that has been at the forefront of discovering and publishing captivating gaming experiences.
KRAFTON India has been at the forefront of gaming in India since 2007, delivering popular titles like BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI), Road to Valor: Empires, Garuda Saga, Defense Derby, and New State Mobile. In 2023, it launched KIGI, aimed at nurturing Indian gaming talent and startups through mentorship, funding, and technical support.
Dedicated to innovation and local empowerment, KRAFTON India remains bullish on India and has positioned itself as a catalyst to build a thriving gaming community in India.
