Gaming
Krafton plots India’s path to esports glory
MUMBAI: Indian esports just got its marching orders. Krafton India chief executive Sean Hyunil Sohn has rolled out an ambitious 2026 roadmap designed to transform bedroom gamers into international champions. Speaking before thousands at the BGMI International Cup 2025 in New Delhi, Sohn unveiled an expanded tournament calendar spanning multiple cities—and a new awards ceremony to boot.
The plan is deliciously simple: build a ladder. At the bottom sits BGMIS (Battlegrounds Mobile India Series), open to anyone with thumbs and ambition. Registrations open in late December 2025, with battles running January through March 2026. Survive that gauntlet and you graduate to BMPS (Pro Series) in May and June, where the winner bags a ticket to the Esports World Cup in Riyadh come July. Then comes BMSD (Showdown), a high-octane LAN slugfest running August to October. The cherry on top: BMIC (International Cup) in October, where India squares off against Korea and Japan on home turf.
“This is more than a tournament calendar—it’s a structured pathway for Indian gamers to rise from grassroots to the global podium,” Sohn declared. The company is putting its money where its mouth is. In 2025 alone, Krafton’s tournaments offered a collective prize pool exceeding Rs 4 crore.
The timing couldn’t be better. India’s esports scene has shed its scrappy underdog skin. Stadium-scale events now replace dingy internet cafés. Government recognition and corporate cash are flowing in. Krafton’s BGMI has racked up 240 million downloads, and the company has sunk over $200 million into Indian startups since 2021.
Krafton India associate director for esports Karan Pathak reckons the roadmap will democratise opportunity. “We want to give every player—from underdogs to champions—a platform to showcase their skill and represent India on the global stage,” he said.
Krafton is also launching the inaugural Krafton India Awards on 9 January 2026 in Mumbai, a new annual bash to recognise the country’s gaming talent.
The message is clear: India isn’t just playing anymore. It’s coming to win.
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
