CEO Jaewon Chang Appointed Official Korea Desk Representative by Guidance Tamil Nadu

Chennai, India — In a landmark development for Korea–India economic cooperation, Jaewon Chang (47), CEO of Buddtree Management, has been officially appointed as the Korea Desk Representative, Guidance Tamil Nadu, marking the first such designation by an Indian state government. This is the first time that the Indian state government has appointed a Korea Desk to support Korean companies.

With South Korea emerging as a key investment partner for Tamil Nadu, the state’s investment facilitation agency has launched a dedicated Korea Desk to support Korean companies. With this, Korean companies looking to explore, invest, or expand in Tamil Nadu can connect directly with their new Korea Desk, headed by Jaewon Chang. He will serve as the primary point of contact for Korean companies and institutions for seamless coordination with government departments and industry stakeholders.

This appointment establishes a formal institutional bridge between the Tamil Nadu government and Korean enterprises operating in India. As Korea Desk Representative, CEO Chang will play a central role in supporting Korean companies—particularly in the Chennai region, where the largest concentration of Korean businesses is located—across a full spectrum of operational and regulatory matters. These include foreign investment, strategic advisory, labour and employment issues, financial structuring, taxation, customs, and trade compliance.

Tamil Nadu, home to the metropolitan city of Chennai, is widely recognised as one of India’s most advanced manufacturing clusters. The state serves as a major hub for automobiles, electronics, heavy industries, and component manufacturing, contributing approximately 30–40% of India’s total automobile production. The region benefits from a well-established ecosystem of skilled labour and supplier networks.

Notably, major Korean conglomerates have long established their presence in the state. Hyundai Motor Company has operated a large-scale manufacturing hub since its entry in 1996, while Samsung Electronics maintains significant production facilities in the region, further reinforcing Tamil Nadu’s strategic importance for Korean investment.

Tamil Nadu hosts Chennai, which is also known as the ‘Detroit of India’. It is a manufacturing hub for automobiles and a logistics hub city with a port. Currently, 130 of the 530 Korean companies in India, including Hyundai Motor Company, are located in Chennai.

The Government of Tamil Nadu has consistently positioned itself as one of India’s most business-friendly states, offering predictable and efficient administrative processes for industrial land allocation, power supply, regulatory approvals, and investment incentives.

With the establishment of the Korea Desk, the state aims to further strengthen its engagement with Korean investors by providing a single-window facilitation platform for end-to-end support. This includes assistance with MoU execution, fast-track approvals, and customised incentive packages, thereby significantly reducing entry barriers and operational uncertainties for Korean companies.

CEO Chang brings extensive experience to the role. He was previously the first Korean lawyer at an Indian law firm and the first Korean partner at a global consulting firm’s office in India.
He passed the New York State Bar Examination in 2014. CEO Chang is a former lawyer who has also served as an advisor to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, a senior researcher, and an advisor to the KOTRA New Delhi Trade Center, and is considered an expert in the field of corporate consulting in India and Southwest Asia.

He currently serves as the CEO of Buddtree Management, a Korea-India-based advisory firm specialising in cross-border business consulting.

Commenting on his appointment, CEO Chang emphasised his commitment to advancing the interests of Korean businesses in India, “This role represents a meaningful opportunity to institutionalise support for Korean companies in Tamil Nadu. I will focus on delivering practical, results-oriented solutions to ensure that Korean enterprises can operate with certainty and maximise their business potential in India.”

The appointment is expected to further accelerate Korean investment into Tamil Nadu, reinforcing the state’s position as a preferred destination for manufacturing and strategic expansion in India.

Info Box | Profile: Jaewon Chang

• Name: Jaewon Chang

• Age: 47

• Current Role: CEO, Buddtree Management

• New Appointment: Korea Desk Representative, Guidance Tamil Nadu

• Significance: First-ever Korea Desk formally appointed by an Indian state government to support Korean companies

• Mandate: Acts as the primary point of contact for Korean companies and institutions engaging with Tamil Nadu

• Key Responsibilities:

  • Foreign investment support

  • Strategic advisory

  • Labour and employment matters

  • Financial structuring

  • Taxation

  • Customs and trade compliance

  • Coordination with government departments and industry stakeholders

• Professional Distinction:

  • Formerly the first Korean lawyer at an Indian law firm

  • Formerly the first Korean partner at a global consulting firm’s India office

• Legal Qualification: Passed the New York State Bar Examination in 2014

• Previous Experience:

  • Advisor to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea

  • Senior researcher

  • Advisor to KOTRA New Delhi Trade Center

• Expertise: Corporate consulting in India and Southwest Asia

• Specialisation: Cross-border Korea–India business advisory

• Base of Work: Strongly connected to Chennai/Tamil Nadu, the largest hub of Korean companies in India

• Stated Focus: Delivering practical, results-oriented solutions to help Korean companies operate with certainty and maximise business potential in India