By Honorary Reporter Snigdha Verma from India
Photos = Snigdha Verma & Namaste Hallyu

Founded by friends in 2016, Namaste Hallyu is India's most popular website for Korean entertainment. 

One of the founders of the platform, Nikita Engheepi, provided a glimpse at the site in a May 6 interview via Zoom, sharing her take on Hallyu and her group's global promotion of Korean entertainment.

How did your group get its name?

"Namaste" is a general greeting in India, and we combined it with the Korean word Hallyu (Korean Wave).

What goals do you have for the site?
We want to bridge the gap between Korean entertainment and its Indian fans. We not only write articles on Hallyu but also create content of our own.

Why did you choose to promote Korean content?
Korean entertainment is quite popular in Northeast India. As my state borders countries like Myanmar, where Korean movies and songs are readily available, I had access to a lot of Korean content while growing up. Back in the 2000s, I was familiar with K-dramas like "Full House" and "Autumn in My Heart." Since there was no market that focuses on Korean content in India, I wanted let people know the existence of Indian fans and the Indian perspective as well as a non-bias perspective on Korean entertainment.

How important is knowing Korean in understanding Korean culture?
Knowing Korean is definitely an advantage but I think culture is broader than understanding just the language. Just because we speak English doesn't mean we're familiar with its related culture. I consider language a means of communication.

What makes Namaste Hallyu different from similar platforms in India?
As the oldest website specializing in Hallyu, we've created a market for platforms discussing Korean content from an Indian perspective. Namaste Hallyu is a non-commercial platform created by fans for fans, a labor of love like the Honorary Reporters program. As the first generation of Hallyu fans in India, we also have a unique perspective after following Korean entertainment for over 20 years. In addition, Namaste Hallyu promotes a healthy fan culture through conscious efforts not to negatively discuss celebrities or create rumors.

What is the biggest difficulty of running this website?
Coordinating the team and creating content require a lot of commitment. Despite being run by volunteers, we have a standard production process that includes fact-checking and screening of each piece of content for relevance and cohesiveness.

As Korean culture is increasingly popular in India, another question is how Namaste Hallyu will stand out as a leading media platform in this sector.

What are achievements of your network are you proud of?
Namaste Hallyu has been invited to most K-pop concerts in India as a media partner. Now recognized as a brand, we've had companies reach out to us. It feels nice to write about our favorite artists and listen to K-pop songs before their official release.

We've also collaborated with the Korea Tourism Organization, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and Korean Culture Centre in New Delhi.

What is the ultimate goal of Namaste Hallyu?
We wish to reach out to more Hallyu fans not only in India but also the rest of the world by conducting more interviews and covering as many concerts as possible.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things.