Key Points :
- According to reports, PUBG Corp and Reliance Jio are in talks to bring PUBG back to India
- If this deal pans out, Reliance Jio will replace Tencent games to become PUBG’s Local Partner in India
- There are no official statements or reports yet but prior evidence suggests this partnership is possible and the possibility cannot be entirely ruled out.
According to a report by Hindu Business Line, PUBG Corp and Reliance Jio are in talks to work out a partnership in order to bring PUBG back to India. Citing an internal source the report stated that the talks were in early stages and officials from both the companies are working on how the partnership will be structured. The report further stated that the legal teams of both companies are formulating a plan for the splitting of revenue. Reports claim that PUBG is planning on tying up with Jio Platforms in order to replace Tencent games with Jio Platforms in India as its local partner.
If the report is to be believed, the talks being in early stages means it is still unclear whether a deal in the future will pan out. However, if the deal pans out, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited would be officially entering the gaming market.
It is important to note that Jio Platforms and PUBG had a tie-up in the past that allowed Jio users who register for PUBG Lite to get rewards for buying their in-game merchandise. Reports suggest that both the companies now want to build-up on this connection.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, during a talk with Microsoft Corporations Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella had said that “Gaming will be bigger than music, movies and television shows put together.” He had also stated that it has a huge potential to grow in India.
There has been no comment from officials of both companies. However, this report may have some truth to it due to PUBG’s desperation to get back into India, which has 175 million installations in this country alone.
PUBG is a popular gaming app which was banned by the Indian government along with 117 other Chinese apps recently under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
