In a bid to boost economic and industrial collaboration with South Korea, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday met Oh Youngju, Minister for SMEs and Startups of the Republic of Korea, in Seoul. The discussions focused on fostering stronger partnerships between entrepreneurs and startups from Assam and South Korea, with an emphasis on innovation and investment.
/pratidin/media/media_files/2025/01/21/GZh2GqTazHmXr9g1SA5q.jpg)
CM Sarma is currently on a three-day visit to South Korea to attract investors, industrialists, and entrepreneurs for the upcoming Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit. During his meeting with Minister Oh Youngju, both leaders explored avenues to expand cooperation between startups in both regions. They also deliberated on how India’s startup movement, initiated under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could serve as a catalyst for mutual economic growth.
/pratidin/media/media_files/2025/01/21/Ows67pciiGrmkCjhTvOY.jpg)
As part of his visit, the Chief Minister toured the Startup Campus at Pangyo Techno Valley, often referred to as South Korea’s Silicon Valley. The innovation hub houses startups and entrepreneurs from diverse sectors, including IT, biotechnology, and cultural industries. The Assam Chief Minister interacted with various startup stakeholders to understand South Korea’s startup ecosystem and explore potential synergies for Assam.
/pratidin/media/media_files/2025/01/21/ddBcQP44ofEFtmzwEsHc.jpg)
Earlier today, CM Sarma met with Dr. Joon Choi, Vice President of SK Hynix, a global leader in the semiconductor industry. He outlined his vision of establishing Assam as a global semiconductor hub and reiterated the state government’s commitment to developing an enabling semiconductor ecosystem. The Chief Minister also shared with him the Rs. 27000 crore state-of-the-art green field semiconductor unit in Assam’s Jagiroad which is expected to generate large scale jobs of direct and indirect in the state.
/pratidin/media/media_files/2025/01/21/YLX8dcl9Qh7ck8BQl3Zl.jpg)
Additionally, he held talks with Lee Young Joo, CEO of Seoul Viosys, a firm specializing in semiconductors and LED technology. He extended an invitation to participate in Advantage Assam 2.0 and encouraged the company to be part of Assam’s growing semiconductor sector. He assured that his government would provide maximum support to semiconductor firms willing to invest in the state.
/pratidin/media/media_files/2025/01/21/epxKDI0tOV5ku9pGU5aN.jpg)
Reaffirming Assam’s commitment to clean energy, the Chief Minister engaged in discussions with the Vice President of GS Group, one of South Korea’s leading firms in renewable and clean energy. The talks focused on Assam’s goal of generating 3,000 MW of clean energy by 2030 and potential partnerships with South Korean enterprises to achieve this ambitious target. Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasized the need for a skilled workforce to support the renewable energy sector and expressed Assam’s eagerness to collaborate on training initiatives.
/pratidin/media/media_files/2025/01/21/ZWwrGhr4No8IEs5q0XCm.jpg)
CM Sarma's engagements in South Korea have reportedly generated significant interest among Korean business leaders in Advantage Assam 2.0 and the investment potential in the state. Following his successful meetings in Seoul, the Chief Minister is set to travel to Japan's Tokyo for further discussions with Japanese industry leaders as part of his global outreach initiative ahead of the investment summit.