BGMI, or Battlegrounds Mobile India, appears to have been banned in the country as it was removed from Google Play store and Apple’s App Store on Thursday night without any prior intimation from developer Krafton. For those unaware, BGMI is a rebranded version of PUBG Mobile, which was banned in India along with 117 other Chinese apps by the Centre as they were found to be “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.” As per a recent report, Krafton is said to meet with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to help resolve the issue.
A Google India spokesperson said in a statement that the company received a government order to block BGMI from its Play store. “On receipt of an order, following established process, we have notified the affected developer and have blocked access to the app that remained available on the Play store in India,” the spokesperson added.
ALSO SEE: Battlegrounds Mobile India Removed From Google Play, App Store
Now, a report by Talkesport, citing “government official sources” has claimed that Krafton will hold a meeting with MeitY over the removal. As per the report, BGMI was banned in India over the same data migration concerns related to the game and its Chinese connections that led to the ban of PUBG Mobile back in 2020.
There has been no official communication from Krafton or MeitY on such a meeting, so this report should be considered with a pinch of salt.
ABP Live has reached out to Krafton for a comment on this development. This report will be updated when we hear back. When asked about the removal of the game from both Google Play and App Store, Krafton had told ABP Live, “We are clarifying how BGMI was removed from Google Play Store and the App Store and will let you know once we get specific information.”