塔拉-迈耶
印度移动游戏市场正经历爆发式增长。对于本土开发者和着眼于这一高增长赛道的全球厂商而言，深入理解移动应用本地化策略与用户行为洞察，是成功突围的关键。
在本期《 Tenjijn ROI 101 》中， GameMakers 创始人、拥有逾20年移动游戏研发与推广经验的资深高管Joseph Kim，将深度剖析他对2026年印度手游市场的真知灼见。
本文将提炼Joseph的核心观点，并重点关注在“中国应用禁令”背景下，《绝地求生：手游印度版》（BGMI）如何解决移动应用本地化的挑战，以及这些经验如何应用于您的产品开发。
认识印度手游市场：机遇何在
Joseph Kim将印度定义为“2026年最具潜力的市场”，理由有两点：
“从市场整体来看，我认为它是全球增速最快的游戏市场……同时，从市场需求的角度来看，这里仍然存在着巨大的机会。”
“仅从数字游戏收入来看，年自2023年起，印度市场就以31%的年复合增长率（CAGR）持续攀升，预计到2030年将达到44亿美元。”
他还提到了另一个重要数据：过去五年间， 印度用户的消费支出增长了9倍。.
Joseph认为：
“我们见证的是印度本土经济与移动应用生态的双重爆发。”
这背后的核心动力，是 印度极度移动优先（mobile-first）的用户习惯。与西方市场不同，印度用户的娱乐与信息获取几乎完全依赖智能手机。
这种独特的环境意味着：
- 大多数用户直接跳过PC时代
- 所有的娱乐与信息流都是通过智能手机完成的
- 与西方市场相比，用户行为模式不同。
- 区域特定和移动应用本地化策略存在独特的机遇。
印度游戏工作室的双重机会
面对复杂市场，Roman问到：
“你们是做纯印度向产品？还是将全球产品印度本地化，制定专门针对印度用户的获客&留存策略？”
目前头部厂商的打法主要分两类：一是“由全球到本地”：利用全球成熟产品框架，针对印度做深度改造；二是“印度优先”的本地化开发：从立项起就围绕印度用户特征设计。
“我们在印度有团队做全球产品，同时也在探索印度本地的游戏市场。”
全球到本地
This model builds products with local Indian talent for global markets, then adjusts and adapts for local market consumption. Some of its benefits are leveraging cost-effective talent, a deep cultural understanding for localization, and the ability to test locally before global expansion.
India-first: App Makers in India
This model focuses on developing apps and games specifically for the Indian market, their unique characteristics, preferences, and consumption behaviors.
BGMI: The Ultimate Case Study in Mobile App Localization
When Chinese apps were banned in India in 2020, PUBG Mobile, a publisher with over 33M daily active users was removed from app stores.
The Problem:
There has been a ban on all Chinese apps in India since 2020. Joseph helps provide more context:
“In the middle of 2020, there was a fight or a conflict at the India-China border. And so the Indian government at the time banned a number of Chinese apps. One of the prominent apps that were banned at the time was TikTok… and also this game called PUBG Mobile.”
The Chinese app ban had an enormous impact since over 33M people were playing this game per day. That’s the entire metropolitan area of Delhi playing the same game, every single day.
The Solution: Creating BGMI
To fill this huge demand gap, Krafton partnered with an Indian company to relaunch as Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and implemented smart mobile app localization strategies.
Key Localization Elements
1. 現地パートナーシップ構造
- Partnered with Indian company for operations
- Maintained compliance with government regulations
- Built trust through local ownership
2. Cultural Customization
Joseph details:
“They changed a bunch of features. They changed the blood color from red to green. They had a bunch of parental consent clauses, so they were trying to make sure that… underage gamers weren’t playing this game and they needed parental consent.”
3. Regulatory Compliance
- Adapted content for cultural sensitivities
- Implemented age-verification systems
- Created India-specific gameplay modifications
BGMI’s Success Story
The results of this mobile app localization strategy were remarkable according to Joseph:
“The game came back and it got 34 million downloads in the first month,” Joseph reveals. “So you would think that the game would have gotten all of its players back. PUBG Mobile had 33 million DAU, 34 million downloads. But actually, it ended up peaking at 18 million.”
18M downloads still packs quite a punch. This 50% recovery rate provides critical insights:
- Not all users returned despite massive demand
- Market gaps emerged for competing titles and genres
- Localization alone doesn’t guarantee full market recapture
Genre Gaps Beyond Battle Royale
While game genres can affect your monetization, there’s no question that Battle Royale games like BGMI dominate. Although it’s one of the top mobile games in India, significant opportunities exist in other underserved genres. Joseph focuses on the gap:
“Outside of BGMI and Free Fire and maybe Call of Duty Mobile, there aren’t a lot of other titles that have meaningfully penetrated the top grossing charts. And so I do think that there is an opportunity for publishers to come in and offer competing products.”
“If you look at the top grossing charts, it tends to be real money gaming and then battle royale. There’s very little outside of that.”
And if we consider that RMG was banned in late 2025, there are even more opportunities for growth, especially for mobile gaming genres:
- Mid-core strategy games
- RPGs with local themes
- Casual puzzle games with Indian cultural elements
- Social casino games
- Sports games beyond cricket
Global to Local: How to Enter Mobile Gaming in India
1. Start Small and Test Locally
Joseph’s primary advice is:
“We’re not going in with some sort of massive bet. We are going in with small, what I would call experiments or tests… We want to see if there’s actually a demand for our products in the local market.”
This translates into soft launches in select test cities, measuring engagement metrics that matter for the demographic. Taking these steps help validate product-market fit before scaling.
2. Hire Local Product Managers
Understanding cultural nuances is impossible without local expertise.
“Have somebody local on the ground who really understands the local market. You can’t do this just by looking at reports and data. You need to have someone who is local, who is from India, who understands the culture and the gaming preferences.”
Cultural insights are qualitative elements that statistical data simply can’t capture the same way as a good conversation, experience and real understanding. Certain aspects like understanding local payment preferences or special knowledge about regulations are pivotal to success, while maintaining local contacts and user communities will be able to provide opinions and support.
3. Focus on Mobile App Localization Beyond Translation
True mobile app localization goes far deeper than language translation.
“Are you creating user acquisition and retention programs that are specific for India? So it’s a multilayered thing. It’s not just, okay, we’re going to translate our game.”
4. Understand the Regulatory Environment
The ban on Chinese apps in India demonstrated the importance of regulatory compliance.
Josephは助言します.
“You have to partner with local companies. You have to understand the regulatory environment… This is not a market where you can just kind of launch a product and hope for the best.”
Some key considerations include age verification systems, content guidelines, data localization requirements, data localization, partnership structures with local companies, and tax and revenue regulations.
5. Optimize for Lower-End Devices
When it comes to mobile-first economies, mobile app development in India must account for device diversity.
「インドで使用されている携帯電話は、米国や発展した西ヨーロッパ市場などの他の市場と比較して、低価格帯である傾向があります。」
アプリサイズの縮小、メモリ要件の低減、古いAndroidバージョンでのパフォーマンスといった技術的な最適化を検討すべきです。さらに、バッテリー効率、特にデータ使用量の最適化といった要素も重要です。
6.収益化戦略を適応させる
With ARPPU at $27 (versus $3 in 2020), monetization strategies must evolve.
“The market is willing to spend. They’re willing to spend and engage with these products. The question is, are they willing to spend on your product?”
Let’s start with purchasing power. Although there’s growing middle class in India, consumers expect lower price points than western markets. They also expect alternative payment methods like Paytm or UPI and IAP offerings that match their gameplay. For example, BGMI has introduced a battle pass system.
インドにおけるモバイルゲームの未来
The most successful gaming studios in India share common characteristics. Not only do they possess a deep understanding of mobile-first user behavior, they recognize how India’s consumption patterns are different. They’ve mastered the ability to build quality products cost-effectively, leveraging local talent without compromising on production value.
Their cultural insights extend in both directions: they understand the nuances of the Indian market while also grasping what resonates globally, making them uniquely positioned for the dual opportunity model.
However their success stems from a remarkable agility in responding to market changes, whether that’s adapting to regulatory shifts like the Chinese app ban or pivoting to capture emerging genre opportunities.
They are adaptable as Joseph observes:
“The studios that I’ve talked to that are based out of India that are building for the global market, like they’re smart, they’re very focused on making great products, they have interesting ideas…I think you’re going to see more developers. You’re going to see more growth in this space. I don’t think it’s going to slow down.”
Mobile App Localization Strategies Are A Must
India’s mobile gaming market offers unprecedented opportunities for app makers in India and global developers willing to invest in proper mobile app localization. The BGMI case study shows that after Chinese apps were banned in India, understanding local culture, regulatory environments, and considering local user preferences play a big role for success.
As Joseph summaries:
“This is the biggest opportunity in 2026… The market is willing to spend. They’re willing to spend and engage with these products.”
The key is approaching the market with respect, local expertise, and a commitment to true localization. It’s not as simple as translation. For true growth it’s important to start small, test locally, and hire product managers who have a deep understanding of the culture. Simultaneously, there’s even bigger opportunities if game studios look for genre gaps beyond the dominant Battle Royale category.
For gaming studios in India and international developers alike, the time to act is now. The market is growing, users are spending, and the right global to local strategy can unlock massive growth in the world’s fastest-growing mobile gaming market.
