Gaurav Sishodia, who will be in charge of Korean Desk, explains aboutIndian government's investment policy at the 'Korea Caravan Forum' hosted bySouth Korea Embassy on Thursday in Hyderabad, Telangana, India./ Photographedby Ha Man-joo

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By Ha Man-joo, India correspondent, AsiaToday - The Indian central government will launch 'Korea Desk' in New Delhi on June 18. In addition, Telangana state government has chosen a government official for the Korea Desk to facilitate Korean investors.
 
Gaurav Sishodia, who will be in charge of Korean Desk, told AsiaToday on Thursday, "The Korea Desk, which had been suggested by Indian PM Narendra Modi to President Park Geun-hye when he visited Korea last May, will be launched on June 18 in New Delhi with Joo Hyung-hwan, Korea's Trade, Industry and Energy Minister, and Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian Minister of State for Commerce & Industy, in attendance.

Korean Ambassador to India Cho Hyun delivers a welcoming speech at the'Korea Caravan Forum' hosted by South Korea Embassy on Thursday in Hyderabad,Telangana, India./ Photographed by Ha Man-joo

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The Korea Desk will be composed of five people, three public officials from the Indian Ministry of Commerce and two dispatched from Korea. Go Joon-seok, Manager of Korean Intellectual Property Office, and Cheong Beom-joo, deputy department head of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) will be dispatched.

Previously, Moon Jae-do, 2nd Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, visited New Delhi last January, and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Korea plus installation with Indian government officials.

Choi Dong-seok (right), KOTRA'sSouthwest Asia Director, and Arvind Kumar, secretary of Industries &Commerce and Energy Department of Telangana, exchange memorandum ofunderstanding (MOU) for cooperation between KOTRA and Telangana state's IndustrialInfrastructure Corporation./ Photographed by Ha Man-joo

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Sishodia said, "The Korea Desk will support Korean companies with a variety of permission, site selection, business partner selection, and meeting arrangement with Indian government officials which had been regarded as obstacles to investment in India. Through this, transparency in Indian investment by Korean companies will be raised. We have already arranged meetings between Korean companies that wish to invest in India with Indian government agencies. We look forward to seeing more Korean SMEs investing in India."

An official from Korean company introduces company products to an Indianbusinessman at the 'Korea Caravan Forum' hosted by South Korea Embassy onThursday in Hyderabad, Telangana, India./ Photographed by Ha Man-joo

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The Korea Desk - to be based in New Delhi - will provide support for India-bound investments of Korean companies. It will provide investment consultation, policy & regulation explanation, business site evaluation, business prospect analysis, subsidy explanation, market entering consultation, business site confirmation, permission acquirement support, business partner selection support, and more.

India's "Perini Prakash" Dance Team dances traditional dancededicated to the Hindu god Shiva at the "Korea Caravan Night ofCulture" hosted by South Korea Embassy on Thursday in Hyderabad,Telangana, India./ Photographed by Ha Man-joo

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Arvind Kumar, secretary of Industries & Commerce and Energy Department in Government of Telangana, attended the 'Korea Caravan Forum' and announced the appointment of an official to be responsible for Korean companies' investment and complaints.

He said, "Telangana has introduced a 'single window system', which handles licensing procedures online, last July. The system has received nearly 18,000 cases so far."

India's "Perini Prakash" Dance Team dances traditional dance ofTelugu region at the "Korea Caravan Night of Culture" hosted by SouthKorea Embassy on Thursday in Hyderabad, Telangana, India./ Photographed by HaMan-joo

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Hosted by South Korea Embassy, the Korea Caravan Forum was attended by Cho Hyun, Korean Ambassador to India; Sung Ki-woong, President of POSCO India; Ahn Young-jin, Chief Coordinator at Hyundai Motor India; Ahn Jin-hyun, Head of Samsung C&T India; Choi Dong-seok, Southwest Asia Director at KOTRA; Choi Joo-chul, Head of New Delhi Branch of Korea International Trade Association, and more.

Jeju Island's Hana Art gives a traditional performance at the "KoreaCaravan Night of Culture" hosted by South Korea Embassy on Thursday inHyderabad, Telangana, India./ Photographed by Ha Man-joo

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In addition, nearly 150 Indian businessmen and Telanga state officials including Azmeera Chandulal, Tourism and Tribal Welfare Minister of Telangana,and Papa Rao, Advisor to Telangana Government.

Korean businessmen take a photo with Cho Hyun (fifth to left), Korean Ambassador to India; Arvind Kumar (fourth), secretary of Industries & Commerce and Energy Department of Telangana;  Sung Ki-woong (right), President of POSCO India, and Yoon Seok-joong (third), India Chamber of Commerce Secretary-General./ Photographed by Ha Man-joo

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