Since its return in 2023, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has taken the Indian esports and gaming ecosystem by storm. Its publisher, Krafton India, has collaborated with various celebrities and leading organizations within India and has now partnered with popular automobile maker Mahindra. The Mahindra BE6 will be available for players to unlock within BGMI on Jan. 16.
This will be the first time a car made in India will be available as a skin within a mobile video game.We sat down with Seddharth Merrotra, Head of Business Development at KRAFTON India, to talk about this first-of-its-kind collaboration in mobile games in India.
For the first time, a car made in India, the Mahindra BE6, is available within a game like BGMI. How does it make you feel?
Image Credits: Bryan Francis
Merrotra: One word, proud. This is because we live in an era where we say it’s all about India. At the same time, this game, BGMI, is for India.
In the past, we have collaborated with the likes of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone for exclusive in-game items in the game. The car is also made by an Indian manufacturer, and it’s the first collaboration of its kind, as you mentioned. I am so glad that we are one of the first games to collaborate with the Automotive industry in India.
The Mahindra BE6 will be available within BGMI from January 16th. What are the unique features of this skin compared to the other car skins currently available within BGMI?
It’s a memorable experience for the player, which we’re trying to give them when they drive this car in the game. There will be an exclusive color scheme for the vehicle within the game, which will be available to BGMI fans.
Another point to talk about is its sleek and sporty design. I want to share with our fans that the car will have many of the same features as the Mahindra BE6, such as the DRL, the dashboard, and the aerodynamic front of the vehicle.
Was it an intentional choice that the first Indian exclusive car within BGMI would be an electric car like the Mahindra BE6?
Image Credits: Bryan Francis
So, it’s fascinating, you know, when we started this discussion with Mahindra last year in January, we had no clue about the car which car it’s going to be. While doing multiple rounds of meetings, we realized they wanted to launch something new within their EV line of vehicles. Our thoughts were simple: “Let’s start with something different and new, something not done before.”
If you had to say something to the BGMI fans in India who are automobile fans like you, what would you like to say?
From a personal experience, I play the game and drive all the cars inside the game. It’s something to look forward to as an aspirational thing. I can’t wait to try this car out as well after driving the car today at the event as well.
Honestly, I hope you all are as excited as I am to try and test out the vehicle in the game. The car will be available within BGMI on January 16th and playable on all maps within BGMI. I hope that once the new update is out, you will make the most of this unique collaboration within the game.