The Korean wave has proven its potential in India. A total of 126 business meetings took place between twelve Korean firms, including CJ Entertainment and KBS Media, and 50 Indian companies, according to a statement released by the Korea Creative Contents Agency (KOCCA) on March 18. The meetings were held at the latest convention of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Films, Radio, Audio-visual, Music, Events, Shows (FICCI FRAMES), a leading annual convention on India’s culture industry which was held from March 12 to 14 in Mumbai, India.

Indian culture industry leaders and experts showed a strong interest in Korean firms and culture during the three-day convention which took place from March 12 on the theme of “A tryst with destiny -- Engaging a billion consumers.”

FICCI FRAMES has been held since 2001 and is known as one of the largest conventions on the media, entertainment, and information industries in India. Korea became a partner country for FICCI FRAMES 2013 to celebrate the diplomatic relations between Korea and India which mark their 40th anniversary this year. Co-hosted by FICCI, KOCCA and the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this year’s convention focused on finding ways to expand cooperation in cultural, tourism, entertainment, and business exchanges between the two countries.

Korean Deputy Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Soon-tae (second from left) attended the opening ceremony of FICCI FRAMES 2013 as the Guest of Honor on March 12 in Mumbai, India. Other high-ranking attendees included FICCI President Naina Lal Kidwai (left), and Walt Disney International chairman Andy Bird (second from right) (photo: Yonhap News).

Korean Deputy Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Soon-tae (second from left) attended the opening ceremony of FICCI FRAMES 2013 as the Guest of Honor on March 12 in Mumbai, India. Other high-ranking attendees included FICCI President Naina Lal Kidwai (left), and Walt Disney International chairman Andy Bird (second from right) (photo: Yonhap News).


Nearly 2,000 people, including attendees not only from India but also from the United States, Europe, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, gathered for the opening ceremony of the convention. High-ranking attendees included FICCI President Naina Lal Kidwai, Walt Disney International chairman Andy Bird, and Korean Deputy Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Soon-tae, the Guest of Honor of the convention.

The opening ceremony was followed by a seminar, a movie screening, and a Korean cultural night program. The story of Kim Il-ho, the CEO of Ocon and creator of popular animation character Pororo, received a particularly high level of attention from Indian animation industry representatives at the seminar, which focused on ways to boost cooperation in the film and animation industries of Korea and India.

The panel of the Korean delegation at the seminar of FICCI FRAMES 2013 on March 12 (photo: Yonhap News).

The panel of the Korean delegation at the seminar of FICCI FRAMES 2013 on March 12 (photo: Yonhap News).

B-boy dancing and samul nori, (traditional Korean percussion quartet), entertained an audience of about 1,000 delegates at the Korean cultural night program. A movie screening of director Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta which won the Golden Lion award at the Venice International Film Festival in 2012 also received favorable responses from the FICCI FRAMES attendees, proving the potential of Korean culture in India.

Business Wire reports on FICCI FRAMES 2013

Business Wire reports on FICCI FRAMES 2013

The local Indian media showed a lot of interest in the Korean events at FICCI FRAMES 2013. “Korea has transformed itself into one of the world’s most outstanding visual technology centers with CGI and 3D,” said the Indiantelevision.com in its March 11 report titled “South Korea partner county at FICCI Frames 2013 focus on digitisation”
“As the partner country at FICCI FRAMES 2013, the Korea wave was visible throughout,” said Business Wire India in its online report titled “Korean entertainment companies eyes big from FICCI FRAMES 2013” on March 14


"Indian firms seem to have a high interest in Korean culture as each of the Korean firms at this year's FICCI had more than ten business meetings," said the director of the Korean Cultural Centre India Kim Kum Pyoung in an interview with Korea’s Yonhap News on March 13.

The Indian culture industry has recently been showing a double-digit increase, and its turnover is predicted to exceed USD 42 billion in 2016 according to KOCCA.

 

[Source: Korea.net]