India's Largest Startup Exhibition: 11 K-Startups Shine

At 'Startup Mahakumbh 2025' held in New Delhi, India, Korean startups achieved notable success, proving their potential for local market entry. In the 'K-Startup Pavilion' established by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), 11 promising startups participated and successfully laid the groundwork for their entry into the Indian market. Hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), this event, which saw record-breaking enthusiasm with over 10,000 delegates from 50 countries and more than 3,000 startups participating, was held under the theme of 'StartupIndia@2047 - Unlocking India's New Chapter'. Piyush Goyal, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, personally visited the K-Startup Pavilion to encourage the Korean companies, and officials from Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, which lead India's major innovation ecosystems, also expressed high interest and willingness for active cooperation through government benefits. Participating companies achieved tangible results. Awesomlab, a company offering eco-friendly water heating solutions, signed an MOU with 'Kalki Ecosphere', a local water purification system manufacturer, for joint product development and commercialization. Tesser, which develops AI solutions for hospitals, was recognized globally for its technology by being selected as the sole Korean company to win an award for UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 'World Summit Awards Global Congress 2025', held immediately after the exhibition in Hyderabad, India. Teracle, a chemical recycling company for waste, conducted on-site factory inspections at the invitation of local apparel and PET waste treatment companies, exploring possibilities for future partnerships. Yoo Jong-pil, President of KISED, stated, "We recognized the high interest and potential for Korean startups at India's largest startup exhibition. We will further strengthen our support for domestic startups to expand globally into large markets like India." This exhibition presented various visions, including future mobility solutions like flying taxis, a commitment to fostering regional startup ecosystems across India, and an emphasis on deep-tech-centered startup ecosystem innovation through strengthened research and development (R&D).