India Envoy Calls To Shipbuilding Ties As New Friendship Body Debuts

 
Indian Ambassador to Korea Gouranggalal Das on Wednesday called for a more "aggressive" approach to building bilateral ties, citing untapped potential in sectors ranging from high-end shipbuilding to the explosive popularity of K-content across the subcontinent.
 
Speaking at a luncheon in Seoul marking the launch of the Korea-India Future Association (KIFA), a private-sector body established to institutionalize friendship and cooperation between the two nations, Das emphasized the two countries have only "scratched the surface" of a partnership with outsized potential.
 
"I see so much available to do that hasn't been done yet," Das told an audience of diplomats, business executives, media personnel and experts in Seoul. "This is the time for change. Anything you do will be successful and can get very good returns."
 
The ambassador highlighted India's maritime sector as a priority area, inviting Korean shipbuilders to participate in New Delhi's domestic manufacturing drive.
 
"We are a strong maritime nation with ambitions to become much bigger in terms of trade. We need lots of ships, and we need to build some of those at home," he said, adding that the Indian government has put "strong incentives" in place for foreign partners.
 
Das also sought to broaden the conversation beyond large conglomerates, saying Korean small and medium-sized enterprises and startups stand to gain substantially from entering the Indian market, where Indian startups are in turn eyeing Seoul as a launchpad for expansion.
 
The ambassador also described the reach of the Korean Wave as extending deep into rural India, where young people are "hooked" on Korean dramas, music and games even in remote areas.
 
Shin Bong-kil, chairman of KIFA and former Korean Ambassador to India, explained that despite India’s status as an emerging global superpower, Korea lacked a specialized "friendship association" similar to those it maintains with the United States, China or Japan.
 
"The rise of India is remarkable," Shin said, recounting his recent attendance at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, where more than 3,000 participants from some 120 countries gathered despite ongoing conflicts in Iran and the Middle East. "It was there that I felt, viscerally, that the age of India is coming following the United States and China. Our association intends to play a role in securing the front line of Korea-India relations."

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]