India-Korea partnership strengthened with launch of strategic initiative to promote skill development and innovation

The Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Government of India and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea signed the first bilateral exchange of notes through the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). This agreement shows that Korea and India are committed to promoting sustainable development and mutual development.

Empowering the youth of India

One of the major initiatives under this agreement is the TVET Mechatronics Project, developed in collaboration with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). This program equips students with advanced technical skills in line with the requirements of the dynamic and rapidly changing job market.

Ambassador Lee Seong-ho emphasized KOICA's dedication to empowering India's youth through cutting-edge skill development initiatives. “KOICA has launched several programs to educate and skill the youth, preparing them to meet the emerging demands of Industry 4.0,” he said.

The Korean Ambassador to India, Ambassador Lee Seong-ho and Ms. Manisha Sinha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, formally signed the Exchange of Notes. Dignitaries attending the signing ceremony included Ms. Hyesu Ji, Second Secretary of the Korean Embassy, ​​Mr. Woochan Chang, Country Director of COICA and Ms. Geetu Joshi, Economic Advisor. Other attendees included Shri Navjot Singh, Deputy Secretary; Ms. Anisha Zaksa, Under Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of India; Ms. Anu Jain, Joint Director, Ministry of Education; and Dr. Dinesh Saklani, Director of NCERT.

Ambassador Lee highlighted KOICA's strategic focus on integrating technical training with education and health care. “By leveraging future-ready technology skills, we aim to enable youth to thrive in a competitive global environment. Collaborative efforts with educational institutions are important to build these competencies,” he said.

He also underlined the transformative potential of currency exchange. “This marks the beginning of deeper cooperation between our two countries. As the project progresses, we look forward to active participation of more stakeholders in this journey of shared development.”

This agreement signals the growing partnership between India and Korea, strengthening their dedication towards sustainable development, skill enhancement and technological innovation.