No permission given for relaunch of PUBG Mobile in India: Govt

New Delhi: Amid rising speculations over the launch of PUBG Mobile India in the Indian market, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has made it official that the Centre has not granted permission to relaunch PUBG Mobile in India.

It is to be noted that MEITY had banned PUBG along with hundreds of other Chinese apps in September. Responding to a RTI Query, MEITY declared that ‘“MEITY has not given any permission for launch of PUBG”. The RTI query was filed on November 30, reported Insidesport.

E-sport entity GEM Esports has shared the reply of RTI on their Instagram handle.

"Dear Sir/ Mam, In the month of September, 2020, Government of India with the consultation of your Department (MEITY) banned various Chinese apps. One of which was Pubg Mobile Game. Now, there are many news which says that the game is being relaunched and the same is made specifically for the Indian Public and will not be harmful to the nation and its citizens. I would like to know if your department has given any such permission to the game so that it can be re-launched," the query filed through RTI asked

MEITY has responded stating: “MEITY has not given any permission for launch of PUBG”

Earlier, Insidesport had reported that PUBG Corporation executives are chasing the MeitY officials for more than a month for a meeting but they are yet to get an appointment from the government side. The delay in getting permission means that PUBG Mobile India will not be released in the Indian market in the near future.

"Efforts from PUBG were made in the right earnest, but situation is such – that there has been no headwind or progress on the matter. We don’t see game making a comeback in India for the next few months, at-least not before March 2021. It’s unfortunate but everyone has to live with it,” the official from PUBG’s side told Insidesport.