Indian gov't officials, businesspeople participate in COMEUP 2024 in Seoul

By Kim Hyun-bin

An Indian delegation from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), led by Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser Aarti Bhatnagar, participated in the COMEUP 2024 Startup Festival held in Seoul from Dec. 11 to 12.

The deputy minister was accompanied by representatives from DPIIT, the Startup India team and members from various Indian startups.

During the inaugural event, Minister of SMEs and Startups Oh Young-ju visited the Indian booths and attended a presentation by Krypton AI, an Indian startup. According to the embassy, Krypton AI develops cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), automation and Internet of Things, or IoT, solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency, security and data-driven decision-making for large industries, including traffic management and radiation monitoring.

The Indian delegation also met with Deputy Minister Lim Jung-wook from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to discuss potential collaboration opportunities.

Indian Ambassador Amit Kumar also met the delegation to brief them on the embassy’s efforts to promote cooperation between Korea and India in the startup sector and potential areas for collaboration.

The delegation visited several key innovation hubs, including the Global Startup Center in TIPS Town, Gangnam, Seoul and Pangyo Techno Valley in Gyeonggi Province. They also met with Gu Bon-hi, commissioner of Invest Seoul under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Zang Yul, team leader at the Korea Social Investment Foundation, to learn about best practices in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in Korea.

Among the Indian startups participating in COMEUP 2024 were Avataar Skincare, a health-tech company committed to providing innovative and high-quality skincare solutions at home; Predulive Labs, which focuses on AI-driven drones, professional training and data analytics with its AVIX DIY drone kit; ASPIRE, an employee growth startup specializing in improving workplaces through "micro habits"; and Bversity, a hybrid college for biosciences offering industry-focused master's degree programs. Other Indian participants included Circle FC, Hana Advisors and more.

The Indian delegation extended an invitation to Korean government officials and startup CEOs to participate in India's upcoming Startup festival, "Startup Mahakumbh 2025," scheduled to be held in New Delhi from April 4 to 6.