South Korea-based Krafton’s India unit, KRAFTON India, has unveiled the second cohort of its India Gaming Incubator (KIGI), doubling down on its commitment to cultivating homegrown game development talent.
The latest cohort includes six emerging studios from across the country, selected for their potential to develop globally competitive titles. The initiative builds on the momentum of KIGI’s inaugural batch, which featured four startups.
The participants spanning cities such as Kolkata, Madurai, and Hyderabad, the expanded cohort signals a deliberate move toward decentralising game development beyond traditional tech hubs.
Through a combination of mentorship, technical guidance, and funding of up to $150,000 per startup, KIGI offers these teams a runway of six to twelve months to develop their titles.
The Six studios and their games
- Kleanup Games (Madurai): Led by Jaiwanth Shanmugam, the studio is building CHROMADI, a high-intensity shoot-’em-up that fuses retro arcade aesthetics with colour-mixing mechanics. Backed by original music from Niranjan Nair and produced by Nandini Nachiar, the game is slated for release in 2026.
- Advaita Interactive (Kolkata): Founded by Judhajit Sarkar, Inspectorium is a detective game rooted in a steampunk vision of Victorian-era Calcutta. Featuring episodic storytelling and AI-powered interrogations, the game is targeting mobile, PC, and VR platforms between 2025 and 2026.
- Singular Scheme (Mumbai): Under Ahad Oomerbhoy’s leadership, the team is working on Frontier Paladin, a role-playing game infused with tower defense mechanics, set in a mythical battlefield littered with divine relics.
- Smash Head Studio (Bengaluru): With a decade of development experience, this studio is preparing to launch Cricket Rivals, a real-time multiplayer game that delivers bite-sized, fast-paced cricket matches designed for global audiences.
- Unwind Games (Hyderabad): Co-founded by Jayant Shukla and Khozema Abuwala, BaoBao’s Journey is a soothing puzzle game featuring a panda protagonist. The game promises gentle puzzles, narrative depth, and cozy design.
- Ginger Games (New Delhi): Founded in 2024 by Shrey Mishra, Sumit Batheja, and Piyush Kumar, Monkey Mayhem is a hybrid-casual action-adventure set in a stylized universe. It combines auto-shooter mechanics, crafting, combat, and storytelling, with a launch window set for early 2026.
Leadership comments
“We’re focused on unlocking new opportunities for Indian developers to thrive,” said Anuj Sahani, Head of the KRAFTON India Incubator Program. “By expanding our regional reach and strengthening partnerships with major global technology providers, we’re equipping game creators to build experiences that resonate globally.”
Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of KRAFTON India, added, “Gaming today is a vehicle for storytelling, culture, and connection. Our second cohort embodies that spirit—diverse in voice and bold in vision. We’re investing in a future where Indian game developers don’t just participate, but lead.”
Rob Schoeppe, Chief Commercial Officer at AccelByte, whose company is one of the technical partners supporting the program, emphasized scalability: “We’re providing backend tools to remove friction from development. Through KIGI, we aim to help Indian studios focus on what matters most—making great games.”
Benefits from technology companies
The second cohort is supported by an expanded network of global technology companies like AWS, AccelByte, AppMagic and Liftoff’s GameRefinery.
With the support of these partners, incubated startups will receive crucial cloud computing resources, backend infrastructure, and expert guidance, ensuring they have the necessary tools to develop and scale competitive gaming experiences globally, Krafton said in a statement.
