Interview: Karan Pathak of KRAFTON India on the growth of BGMI Esports

Battlegrounds Mobile India absolutely dominates the esports scene in India. Since the game’s relaunch in 2023, the growth of BGMI Esports has been commendable. If there is one person who is majorly regarded for his contributions in this growth, it is the Associate Director of Esports at KRAFTON India, Karan Pathak. I recently had the opportunity to discuss BGMI Esports with Karan Pathak during the BGMI Showdown 2025.

Since 2023, significant changes have occurred in BGMI Esports. In your role at Krafton India, how does it feel seeing this kind of growth and all the changes that have happened since then?

Karan Pathak: Honestly speaking, it’s really awesome. The love and support of the Indian esports community have helped us outperform ourselves following each tournament. The time leading upto the event has been quite challenging for the Krafon India Esports team. It was far complex than what one might see on screen during the tournament.

Before this tournament, a form of flu spread to many people in Delhi during the BGMI Masters Series. This impacted the players, talent, commentators, and me. I was hospitalized for a short time during that tournament.

Currently, within BGMI Esports, the transfer period is active with the new rules concerning player and team contracts. I would like to know what happens if an organization shuts down after signing a team of players, and what the status of the players is during the 2026 season?

Karan Pathak: If this situation arises, then the four players would have to submit their case to us. These issues will be taken up on a case-by-case basis by our team. It wouldn’t be like we would not allow them to participate in our tournaments as their organization has shut down or backed out.

The players will have the opportunity to be signed by a new team and participate in all BGMI tournaments for which they are eligible.

Following the new rules, a team is limited to five players and one coach. This raises the question: Will organizations that have already secured the signature of a team have a chance to sign free agents?

Karan Pathak: What I was trying to say in my prior answer is that the players whose organization decided to back out can sign with a new organization. They won’t be able to split and play with another team. These players would have to sign as a team of 4 or 5 with a new organization that doesn’t have a BGMI team.

The winner of BGMI Showdown 2025 gets a spot in the upcoming PMGC 2025 tournament in Bangkok. How do you feel knowing that a team from India has finally been given a slot in one of the biggest tournaments in mobile Esports?

Karan Pathak: Honestly, I am thrilled. I have always wanted a team from India to participate in the upcoming event. There is a lot of pressure from my side to be honest when a team qualifies for a global event (PMGC 2025). The dream is to see an Indian team lift a trophy at such an event. So, looking at the situation of the esports ecosystem in India and the nature of the fans who come to support the team representing our nation, it does make me happy. It is a moment of pride as well for me, but yes, I try to make sure that this is the case for me.

Featured image credit: KRAFTON