Insights on Cultural Influences in times of COVID
As per a Euromonitor International Report, in 2020, COVID-19 led lockdown accelerated the advocacy and acceptance of Korean culture in India.
The rise in consumption of K-Food in India post-COVID-led lockdown in 2020 is found to be correlated with the viewership of K-dramas and K-Pop. Netflix, an online streaming platform, reported a YoY 370% jump in 2020 in the viewership of Korean Dramas in India. The import statistics of Korean Noodles in India also witnessed a growth of 162% in terms of Volume in 2020 and is expected to grow by 178% in 2021 according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India.
Home isolation gave the time and opportunity to the Indian consumers to deep dive into the Korean culture through K-Dramas and K-Pop and experience it through K-food. The rising popularity of K-Food in India presents a unique growth opportunity for Korean food manufacturers, ingredients and condiments manufacturers and Consumer Foodservices in India post-2020.
K-Dramas gained popularity in India because of factors like content and storyline, fashion and aesthetics, and willingness to explore and understand other culture. For most of the viewers, they fill a gap left by the Indian soap operas. To understand the audience of K-Dramas in India, we ran a survey with respondents who were Indian and K-Drama fans. Interestingly, 88% of the respondents were willing to try Korean Food, while only 40% of them had ever tasted Korean Food.
