India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has addressed rumors surrounding a potential ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), clarifying key distinctions from the banned PUBG Mobile.
Following the ban on Free Fire and 54 other Chinese apps, speculation grew that Krafton's BGMI—a battle royale title—might face similar restrictions, with some viewing it as a rebranded PUBG Mobile. A Hyderabad resident filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Telangana High Court urging a ban.
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Hyderabad lawyer Anil Stevenson Jangam argued in his PIL that BGMI mirrors the PUBG Mobile banned in 2020, posing similar risks to children and adolescents. He stated: "BGMI and the banned application PUBG Mobile are the same game with only cosmetic changes. The new application Battlegrounds Mobile India is fraught with all the dangers its banned earlier version posed to our children and adolescents. Therefore, the new version also deserves to be banned."
Jangam further alleged Tencent's involvement via front companies threatened national security and called for regulating online gambling.
MeitY representative N. Samaya Balan countered that PUBG Mobile and BGMI are distinct games. The ministry also noted no formal ban requests have been received.
This isn't the first call for restrictions; groups like the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and an Assam NGO have echoed similar concerns.
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