Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market hosted a lively panel on India–Korea collaborations under the banner “India-Korea Synergies: New Horizons in Co-Productions,” bringing together policymakers, producers and media figures to discuss how the two industries can forge deeper ties.
The session featured Prithul Kumar, joint secretary (broadcasting) for India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; actor-producer Arfi Lamba; Anthology Studios president Choi Jae-won; LME Studios CEO Heo Youngkook; media personality Abhishek Gupta; and Nishikant Singh, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of India in Seoul.
Kumar outlined India’s incentive framework, stressing that international productions – including Korean projects – can access rebates of up to $3.6 million, with approvals granted in as little as 18 days. “Our co-production agreements mean films can qualify as national films in both countries, opening markets and maximizing support,” he noted.
Choi highlighted his company’s remake of Indian blockbuster “Drishyam” for the Korean market, describing it as “a landmark step in bridging storytelling traditions.” Heo discussed his upcoming 3D animation “Astro Station,” made in collaboration with an Indian partner studio, crediting the project’s visual quality to India’s fast-growing VFX ecosystem.
Lamba called Asia’s creative industries “the new superpower,” pointing to India’s experience in backend VFX for Disney, Pixar and Marvel. “This is the time to take the front foot, go global together, and recover faster through shared resources,” he said.
Gupta, long based in Seoul and nicknamed “the most famous Indian in Korea,” emphasized cultural affinity and the need to break stereotypes about Indian cinema. “Korean audiences still think of Indian films as just song-and-dance epics, but younger viewers are ready for action-driven, layered stories,” he said.
Singh added that increased festival participation and talent exchanges could “create a real bridge” between the industries, while all panelists agreed on the potential for Indo-Korean stories to resonate across Asia and beyond.
