Bitkraft Ventures says it will double down on India investments despite real-money gaming ban

• Strategy focuses on original IP, gaming infrastructure, and AI-driven platforms.
• Bitkraft aims to leverage India’s strengths in mobile, engineering, and storytelling.
• Opportunities seen in free-to-play, midcore, core games, and AI-powered content.

VC firm Bitkraft Ventures has claimed its intent to double down on investments in India's game studios and esports sector despite the country's sudden real-money gaming ban that has cost the local industry billions of dollars.

Bitkraft’s India strategy centres on original IP for local and global markets, gaming infrastructure, and AI-driven interactive media.

The company said this will allow it to leverage India’s strengths in mobile development, engineering, and storytelling while backing only regulation-compliant models.

New opportunities 

Despite the ban on real-money gaming, the Indian government is pushing to grow esports, casual mobile games, and gaming infrastructure after setting out a framework in the Online Gaming Bill.

Bitkraft believes the wider gaming scene is still strong, with opportunities in free-to-play games, more advanced midcore and core titles, AI-powered content, and the tools and platforms that support them.

The investment firm plans to back studios creating global IP, as well as gaming infrastructure and community platforms, offering not just funding but also operational support and access to its global network.

“The new proposed framework on the online gaming bill not only enhances investor confidence but also creates a more stable and supportive environment for institutional global investors like Bitkraft to double down on opportunities across game studios and interactive entertainment in India," said Bitkraft Ventures Partner for India and UAE Anuj Tandon. 

“It also puts India at par with a lot of mature global gaming markets like South Korea and China, India is at a transformational moment in interactive media and gaming."