Registrations open from June 15–21 for the open-for-all BGMI tournament featuring a prize pool of INR 10 lakhs and a chance for aspiring players to make their mark on the national stage

New Delhi, June 15, 2026: NODWIN Gaming, South Asia’s leading gaming and esports company, in collaboration with KRAFTON India Esports, today announced the launch of BGMI: NAYE KHILADI, a new Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) tournament built to spotlight the next generation of esports athletes and provide a pathway for emerging talent to enter the competitive ecosystem.

Built around the spirit of #AbTeriBaari, BGMI: NAYE KHILADI is an open-for-all competition that gives aspiring players, grassroots teams, and rising contenders an opportunity to compete, gain recognition, and showcase their skills on a national stage. Registrations for the tournament will remain open from June 15 to June 21, inviting players from across the country to begin their journey from grassroots competition towards professional esports.

Featuring a total prize pool of INR 10,00,000, BGMI: NAYE KHILADI aims to become one of India’s largest grassroots talent discovery initiatives for BGMI. The tournament will begin with in-game qualifiers conducted within BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA, where players’ performances in Classic Ranked matches during the qualification window will determine their eligibility for Round 1. The competition will then progress through multiple stages, culminating with the top 1,024 teams advancing to the NODWIN Gaming-operated tournament phase and ultimately competing in the all-online Grand Finals.  

Designed as a platform where new stories begin and new stars emerge, the tournament seeks to create meaningful opportunities for players who aspire to compete at the highest level. By lowering barriers to entry and enabling widespread participation, BGMI: NAYE KHILADI reinforces the shared commitment of NODWIN Gaming and KRAFTON India towards strengthening India’s esports ecosystem and expanding opportunities for future champions.

Gautam Virk, Co-Founder and CEO, NODWIN Gaming, said, “Indian esports has reached a stage where the next challenge is not just growing the audience, but discovering and nurturing the next generation of competitive talent. BGMI: NAYE KHILADI has been built with exactly that vision. We want to create a platform where aspiring players from every corner of the country can step forward, compete, and earn their opportunity to shine on a larger stage. The spirit of #AbTeriBaari is simple – every established champion was once an unknown player, and this tournament is designed to help uncover the next wave of stars for Indian esports.”

Karan Pathak, Associate Director – Esports, KRAFTON India, said, “At KRAFTON India, we remain committed to building sustainable pathways for aspiring esports athletes and strengthening the grassroots ecosystem around BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA. BGMI: NAYE KHILADI represents an important step in that journey by giving emerging players a platform to showcase their skills, compete at scale, and experience the excitement of structured competition. Through our partnership with NODWIN Gaming, we aim to create more opportunities for talent discovery and contribute to the continued growth of India’s esports ecosystem.”

KRAFTON India will further support the initiative through promotional activities across Krafton India Esports channels, helping drive participation and visibility for the tournament nationwide.

From unknown contenders to future champions, BGMI: NAYE KHILADI embodies the belief that every esports star starts somewhere. Through #AbTeriBaari, NODWIN Gaming and KRAFTON India are inviting India’s next generation of BGMI talent to take their shot at esports glory.

To register, players can visit kraftonindiaesports.com and click on the BGMI: NAYE KHILADI registration banner or navigate to the Tournaments section and select “Register Now”. New users can sign up on the platform, while existing users can log in using their registered credentials or OTP verification. 

About NODWIN Gaming:

NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, holds a significant position in the global gaming and esports industry in emerging markets. Since its inception in 2014 by Akshat Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has established a global presence in regions such as Taiwan, South Asia, Singapore, the Middle East, Central Asia. The company’s business centres around building and monetising global youth access through pop culture, gaming, esports, live events and content through IPs such as Leagues, Tournaments, Reality shows. It engages with Artists, Content creators, professional esports athletes, teams. Notable investors include Founders investment vehicle Good Game Investments, Nazara Technologies (BSE: NAZARA), KRAFTON Inc, Sony Group Corporation and JetSynthesys.

A key focus for NODWIN Gaming is the expertise in the global south and the timeshare of mindshare of the global youth on mobiles. NODWIN has established a dominant position worldwide in this space. By catering to the youth demographic, NODWIN is expanding its Total Addressable Market (TAM) by becoming increasingly relevant in the rapidly evolving digital entertainment landscape. Their diverse range of intellectual properties that engages the youth spans esports, gaming, pop culture, music, and comedy. This strategic expansion and cultivation of new intellectual properties are crucial to NODWIN’s aim of maintaining a significant role in the global youth media, gaming and esports Arena​s.

For more information, visit www.nodwingaming.com

About Krafton India:

KRAFTON India is responsible for delivering premier mobile gaming experiences in the country, led by its flagship title BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI), which has surpassed 260 million downloads. Its diverse portfolio also includes titles such as Bullet Echo India, Road To Valor: Empires, CookieRun India, and Real Cricket, catering to a wide spectrum of Indian gamers. KRAFTON India has also played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s esports landscape through marquee tournaments such as BGIS and BMPS, setting new benchmarks for development of grassroot talent, competitiveness, and fan engagement, while helping establish esports as a mainstream sporting and entertainment category in India.

Beyond publishing games, KRAFTON India is committed to strengthening the digital entertainment ecosystem. Since 2021, the company has invested over $250 million in Indian startups across interactive entertainment, gaming, esports, and technology. The company also actively supports game development talent through the KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI), enabling emerging developers with funding, mentorship, and strategic guidance.