Ministry of SMEs and Startups Launches Full-Scale Startup and Talent Exchanges with India

"Korea-India Venture·Startup Employment·Entrepreneurship Fair" Held
Building an Innovation Partnership with India

On the occasion of the Korea-India summit, bilateral cooperation in the field of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including startup and talent exchanges, will be fully launched between the two countries.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 20th that it had signed a "Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in the Field of SMEs" with India's Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in New Delhi, India. The main points of the MOU are that Korea and India have agreed to build an innovation partnership in the SME sector, to establish and operate the "Korea-India SME Cooperation Working Group" for the implementation of this partnership, and to expand Korean companies’ entry into India from being large enterprise-focused to also include SMEs. On this basis, both countries have committed to further developing practical cooperation between them.

After the signing of the MOU, the "Korea-India Venture and Startup Job and Startup Fair" was held to promote talent exchanges in the venture and startup sector and cooperation to expand the startup ecosystem, signaling the start of full-scale cooperation in SMEs between the two countries. Earlier this year, the Ministry held back-to-back venture and startup cooperation events in China and Singapore, broadening connections with major Asian startup ecosystems; this event in India was organized as a continuation of those efforts. The aim of the fair is to strengthen the foundation for cooperation in the venture and startup sector with India and to promote talent exchanges between the two countries.

Yongseok Noh, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups

The main event, attended by about 200 participants—including government officials from both countries, startup founders, venture capitalists, developers, and university students—featured a "Dialogue with Korea-India Ventures and Startups" where key representatives of the two countries’ venture and startup communities took part. The discussion, led by Yongseok Noh, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, included Cheolwon Lee, CEO of Afinit, an AI fintech startup that has successfully entered the Indian market; Pandit Ravi Shankar, CEO of Konnect, an Indian startup that won the top prize at the "K-Startup Grand Challenge 2025," a startup competition for foreigners; and Victor Samson, an Indian developer now working as the lead engineer at Chart, a Korean venture company, recruited through a program connecting overseas software talent with Korean firms. Participants shared their experiences in the startup and venture ecosystems of both countries and discussed ways to further activate exchanges.

Before the main event, a policy briefing was held for outstanding Indian talent, introducing Korea's support policies for foreign entrepreneurs and the program for recruiting outstanding overseas software professionals. This was followed by an active Q&A session with local university students and developers interested in starting a career or a business in Korea. A startup showcase was also held at the event venue. In the exhibition hall, nine promising Korean startups seeking to enter the Indian market presented their innovative technologies and products to Indian investors and companies participating in the event.

Yongseok Noh, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "Korea and India share the commonality of being rapidly growing innovation countries based on outstanding human resources," adding, "I hope that this event in India will serve to connect the venture and startup ecosystems of both countries and further promote exchanges among innovative talent."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.