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Abstract

Optimism surrounding a possible upgrade for the India-Taiwan relationship can be said to have peaked in 2020 against the backdrop of India-China border tensions. Although the potential to develop numerous facets of this relationship has been acknowledged for several years, crucial breakthroughs remain elusive. Trade volumes which were rising from a small base have dipped. Although Taiwanese investments in India are growing, they are nowhere near the investment flows into much smaller countries in the ASEAN region. Priorities articulated in India's National Electronics Policy 2019 clearly match strengths of the Taiwanese ICT industry but only contract manufacturers which assemble products for multinationals have responded to "Make in India" so far. Education and tourism exchanges as a precursor for stronger ties might be necessary but not sufficient. Can India's newfound ambition to reduce economic dependency on China propel India-Taiwan economic ties to the next level? What is India's position within Taiwan's New Southbound policy? How do India's FDI and trade policies impact Taiwanese industry? Can Taiwan bridge the gaps in India's technology ecosystem? Can enhanced trade, investment and technology transfers provide a strong foundation to galvanize the entire relationship? What role do education and tourism have to play?

About the Speakers

Dr. Mumin Chen is Deputy Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India. Previously he worked as Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Politics, and Vice President for International Affairs at National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), Taichung, Taiwan. He also served as Director of the Center for Studies on South Asia and Middle East (CSSAME) at NCHU (2014-2020), and Chairperson of Taiwan Association for South Asian Studies (2017-2020). Before moving to Delhi to work at TECC in September 2020, Chen devoted his research and studies on International Relations and promoting cooperation between Taiwanese and foreign think tanks in various areas. His research mainly focuses on non-traditional security issues, foreign relations of China, politics and security in South Asia and the Middle East. He has published 6 books and co-edited 3 books with topics related to India, South Asia, and International Relations. He is also the chief editor of the first Research Report on Taiwan-India Relations, published by Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) in February 2020.

Mr. Santosh Pai is Honorary Fellow and Treasurer at the Institute of Chinese Studies, and a partner at Link Legal, an Indian law firm. He has been offering legal services to clients in the India-China corridor since 2010. His areas of interest include Chinese investments in India, India-China comparative law and policy, cross-cultural negotiations and board governance. He holds a B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) degree from NLSIU, Bangalore, LL.M. (Chinese law) from Tsinghua University, Beijing and an MBA from Vlerick University, Belgium (Peking University campus). His manuscript, Practical Guide on Investing in India for Chinese Investors has been translated into Chinese and published by China Law Press. Mr. Santosh Pai is also a member of CII's Core Group on China, teaches two courses on India-China business at IIM Shillong and volunteers at NGOs in his free time.

Dr. Joe Thomas Karackattu teaches at the Humanities and Social Sciences department at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. He was "Fox Fellow (2008-09)" at Yale University and, more recently, CISLI Fellow (2017-19) at the India China Institute at the New School, New York. He also received the first Centenary Visiting Fellowship (nominated award) at SOAS, University of London in 2013. Besides his publications, his work on China includes two non-fiction films 'Guli's Children' (2016) and 'Those 4 Years' (2020). He is currently In-charge of the IIT Madras China Studies Centre and recipient of the 2020 Young Faculty Recognition Award at IIT Madras.

About the Chair

Mr. Ravi Bhoothalingam is currently Founder and Chairman of Manas Advisory, a consultancy practice focusing on business and cultural relations with China, Mongolia and Myanmar. He is Honorary Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi. He holds a Masters degree in Experimental Psychology from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University, when the renowned Sinologist and scientist Joseph Needham was Master of the College, and also holds an AMP from Harvard. He is a member of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Core Group on China, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, London and sits on the Editorial Boards of China Report and World Affairs, two international journals published out of India.