Governor of Gyeonggi Province meets Indian Ambassador to discuss future industry cooperation, human exchanges and more.

○ Governor Dong Yeon Kim met with Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar on March 7 - Future industry cooperation and human exchanges and...

○ Governor Dong Yeon Kim met with Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar on March 7
- Future industry cooperation and human exchanges and between Gyeonggi Province and India were discussed

○ Ambassador Amit Kumar anticipates cooperation in manufacturing, electric vehicles, secondary batteries, energy conversion and green hydrogen

○ Governor Kim visited by representatives of 20 countries since being elected, signifying a 'Global Gyeonggi'

As Korea and India mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong Yeon Kim met with H.E. Amit Kumar, the new ambassador to Korea, to discuss human exchanges between Gyeonggi Province and India, as well as ways to expand cooperation in future industries such as semiconductors and electric vehicles.

Governor Kim met with Ambassador Kumar at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex on the morning of March 7 and said, "I am very interested in trade, investment and human exchanges with India. Gyeonggi Province is working to send hundreds of young people abroad to gain various experiences, and I hope our young people will have such opportunities in the future," proposing the expansion of human exchanges.

In response, Ambassador Kumar said, "It's a very good proposal. The most important part of the partnership is human exchanges.” He added, "Currently, there are many Indians are working in Gyeonggi Province of South Korea. Korean companies are also practicing exchange by entering India, and I hope to increase such human exchanges even more in the future."

In addition to human exchanges, Governor Kim and Ambassador Kumar discussed means for future industry exchanges. Governor Kim said, "Gyeonggi Province has created future growth industries through reorganization and believes that semiconductors, bio, and big data will fuel future growth." They also expressed interest in ChatGPT and discussed plans to reflect it in the provincial government. Governor Kim added, "We are also focusing on the digital transformation of traditional manufacturing industries and bio-industry using related ecosystems in the northern region."

Ambassador Kumar also expressed willingness to cooperate in the industrial sector, saying, "I hope we can cooperate together in sectors such as electric vehicles, secondary batteries, and green hydrogen related to energy conversion, including manufacturing."

Additionally, Ambassador Kumar expressed his intention to invite Governor Kim to India, saying, "India is changing very rapidly, and you can experience it only by visiting in person."

Governor Kim noted, "The Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) will operate the India International Convention Center, which is scheduled for completion in October, for a 20-year period. I want to see the rapidly growing potential of India myself, so I will positively consider visiting India."

Ambassador Kumar, appointed as the Indian Ambassador to Korea in September last year, is a diplomatic expert who previously served as consul general in Chicago (2020 - 2022) and deputy chief of mission at the Indian embassy (2019 - 2020). The meeting with Governor Kim was arranged at the suggestion of Ambassador Kumar to discuss Korea-India relations; discussion topics also included exchange and cooperation between Gyeonggi Province and India.

As the chair of this year's G20 meeting, India is expected to demonstrate mediator leadership amid intensifying hegemonic competition between the U.S. and China. The IMF forecasts that India will surpass China to become the world's most populous country this year, and a number of international credit rating agencies predict that India will emerge as the world's third-largest economy by 2030.

This is the first time that an Indian ambassador has visited the Gyeonggi Provincial Government to meet the governor; ambassadors from a number of countries have visited Gyeonggi Province since Governor Kim took office, including those from the U.S., China, Britain, and Germany. Following last year’s local elections, former presidents, high-ranking government officials, and ambassadors from 20 countries have requested meetings with Governor Kim, signifying a “Global Gyeonggi."

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province has been promoting active exchanges and cooperation in economic and trade sectors with Maharashtra Province, the capital city of which is Mumbai, including the dispatch of a trade promotion team in 2005, the of a signing friendly cooperation agreement in 2007 and the hosting of G-Fair in Mumbai every year since 2009.