Can Indians Learn From the South Koreans?

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the India-S. Korea Special Strategic Partnership.

- BASAB DASGUPTA

I do not know, apart from improved diplomatic relations with Korea, what tangible benefits have resulted from this partnership for India so far. Can India learn from the Koreans how to become a leader in the technology world?

In a recent TV commercial, South Korean car-maker Hyundai was touting "what Hyundai Sonata can do that Honda Accord cannot". South Korea's success has been driven by an intense rivalry with Japan.

A friend of mine bought a Honda car in the mid-1970s which became a laughingstock because of its small size and poor repair record. Subsequently, a Japanese revolutionized the American automotive industry. Honda dramatically improved the quality, reliability and style of its automobiles. Cars from companies like Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Mazda, Isuzu and Subaru started to appear in American showrooms. US companies were forced to improve quality and reliability to compete with the Japanese. The Japanese did the same in consumer electronics. American domestic brands like RCA and Zenith had a dominant presence in televisions, radios, hi-fi equipment etc. Sony entered the market and became a leader with acclaimed critical reviews. Other companies like Panasonic, Hitachi, Toshiba, Sanyo and Sharp gradually became household names. By the early 1990s, Zenith had gone bankrupt and RCA consumer electronics was sold to a French company. There is a striking parallel between the global invasion of Japanese products in the 1980s and 90s and invasion of Korean products in the past two decades. Automobile brands like Hyundai, Daewoo and Kia were ridiculed at the beginning because of poor reliability and bare-bone designs. The prices were low, but the consumers shrugged them off. Just like Honda in the 1980s, Hyundai made major improvements in style and technology of their products. Today, Hyundai Sonata is one of the most popular mid-size cars and their Genesis line is a bona fide luxury brand.