Indian Food Processing Industries exporters shipped $9.3 billion of goods to South Korea in Q1 FY28, a rise of 16.7% on the same period last year and the strongest quarterly print since 2022. Customs data reviewed by IGEN shows the increase was broad-based, with castor oil accounting for just under a third of the gain.

The picture is not uniformly bright. Freight rates on the corridor, though 5.8% below their peak, remain volatile, and several mid-sized exporters say payment cycles have lengthened to 75 days from 55. Trade-finance providers report a pickup in requests for credit insurance and invoice discounting.

Where the growth is coming from

Services linked to goods trade are growing in parallel. Testing, certification and logistics companies serving the corridor reported double-digit revenue gains, and at least four Indian firms have opened warehouse or light-assembly facilities in South Korea to sit closer to customers and shorten delivery windows to under ten days.

Compliance remains the quiet constraint. Importers in South Korea now require traceability documentation down to the batch level, and exporters without digital record-keeping are finding themselves excluded from tender shortlists. Industry associations say fewer than half of small suppliers currently meet the standard.

Tariff structures are shaping the mix of exports. Under the current schedule, finished goods face a duty of 5.8% in South Korea, while intermediate inputs enter at a reduced rate, which has encouraged Indian firms to ship semi-finished lots for final processing near the customer. That shift supports volume but dilutes unit value.

“Every month shaved off the payment cycle is worth more to a mid-size exporter than a point of duty relief.”

Margins, freight and payment risk

Asian Paints reported that its South Korea order book has doubled since January and now represents 12.5% of export revenue. The company is adding a second shift at its main plant and has booked additional container allocation on the Kolkata-South Korea service through the end of 2030.

Buyers in South Korea have spent two years reducing reliance on a single source country, and Indian suppliers have been the principal beneficiary. Procurement managers cite shorter lead times out of Kolkata, competitive pricing after the rupee's modest depreciation, and a growing base of certified plants as the reasons for switching.

Competition and market access

Competitors are not standing still. Suppliers in Brazil have cut prices aggressively in recent months and are courting the same buyers with long-term agreements. Indian exporters who win on price alone, analysts warn, will find their position tested when currency tailwinds fade.

Government support is arriving in pieces. The commerce ministry has extended interest-equalisation benefits for another year and approved $186 million for market-access initiatives, including buyer-seller meets in South Korea. Exporters say the funds help but are less valuable than faster refunds of duties and taxes, which still take about 40 days.

Outlook for the next four quarters

Looking ahead, the sector expects continued momentum through Q4 FY26, supported by restocking cycles abroad and a pipeline of government-to-government engagement. The risk case is a sharp rise in container rates or a policy shift in South Korea; the base case is 12.5% annual growth through 2030.