PM Modi Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (Right) with South Korean President
India and South Korea on 20 April unveiled a new partnership centred on technology, with a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announced the launch of the “India-Korea Digital Bridge”, positioning it as a cornerstone initiative to anchor cooperation in next-generation technologies.
The announcement came at a joint press conference, where Modi highlighted the broader strategic message of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, stressing that both nations would continue to contribute towards a progressive and inclusive regional order.
The Digital Bridge is conceived as a long-term framework to deepen collaboration in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and information technology. Modi underscored the breadth of the initiative by stating that cooperation would extend “from chips to ships, talent to technology, entertainment to energy.”
South Korea’s established semiconductor strength, driven by companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, is expected to complement India’s ambition to build a domestic chip ecosystem. India has been advancing its national mission to develop a full-stack semiconductor value chain, while South Korea is pursuing its “K-Semiconductor Belt” strategy to secure leadership in next-generation chips.
The collaboration is seen as a response to concentrated supply chain dependencies, aiming to build resilience in critical technologies.
Alongside the technology partnership, both countries reiterated their commitment to nearly double bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030, up from the current $25.7 billion. Modi noted that trade had already reached $27 billion and emphasised that several important decisions had been taken to accelerate this growth.
Efforts are underway to upgrade the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to reflect evolving trade norms and strengthen investment conditions. Multiple agreements were signed across sectors including shipbuilding, steel, sustainability, and ports, signalling a broader industrial cooperation agenda that complements the technology push.
PM Modi highlighted that the business forum would serve as a platform to translate these opportunities into tangible outcomes.
Digital infrastructure also featured prominently in the discussions. NPCI International Payments Limited signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean Financial Telecommunications & Clearings Institute, marking a step towards deeper integration of digital payments ecosystems.
This move aligns with a wider effort to connect financial rails and digital public infrastructure frameworks between the two countries, potentially enabling cross-border innovation in fintech alongside AI-driven services.
The renewed engagement between India and South Korea comes against the backdrop of intensifying geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions, which have exposed vulnerabilities in global technology dependencies.
Both nations are increasingly focused on diversifying sources of critical minerals and semiconductor components, while simultaneously building domestic capacity in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The Digital Bridge initiative, coupled with trade and industrial cooperation, reflects a sharper strategic alignment between the two countries as they seek to navigate global shifts and secure long-term resilience.
Agencies
