PUBG Mobile India May Not Launch in the Near Future, Reveal RTI Reports

PUBG Mobile India has not received the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)’s nod to operate in India, yet – two RTI responses have revealed. Last month, its developer PUBG Corporation announced the return of the mobile game in the country; however, its exact availability details remain unclear. Since the announcement of its relaunch in India, fans have been eagerly waiting for its arrival. Now, the latest RTI responses paint a different picture and more information from its developers PUBG Corporation that is owned by South Korea-based Krafton is awaited.

In a response to the RTI filed by MediaNama, the government says that the MeitY does not grant permissions for starting of any websites or mobile apps service in the country adding that “accordingly, MeitY has not granted permission to PUBG / PUBG mobile India.” Notably, in a separate RTI response, the ministry simply stated that no permissions had been given for the launch of PUBG Mobile India. Although this indicates that the government does not pre-approve the launch of an app in the country, in the case of PUBG Mobile India, its developers, PUBG Corporation may require a special nod to start operating via Google and Apple app stores since it was initially banned over security threats. Over the last few weeks, several reports have teased about its return this month, but no official statement has been given by its developers. The latest RTI responses also do not clearly indicate the status of its launch in India.

To recall, the government banned PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite apps in India back in September as part of the third crackdown on Chinese apps operating in the country. Nearly two months later, its developers PUBG Corporation announced its return after breaking ties with the China-based gaming firm Tencent. The company has also partnered with Microsoft to ensure the safety of its users’ data. Notably, PUBG Corporation has promised investments worth $100 million in the Indian market “to cultivate” the local video game, e-sports, entertainment, and IT industries.

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