The 2018 Taiwan Expo in India was held May 17 at the New Delhi International Convention and Exhibition Center in India for three days. James C. F. Huang, Chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, mentioned India's population is 1.33 billion and its economic growth rate has exceeded 7% in recent years, making the country an attractive addition to Taiwan government's New Southbound Policy. In the past couple of years, TAITRA has organized eight delegation visits and held several promotional activities. The greatest effort has definitely been the Taiwan Expo, where business opportunities are estimated to add up to more than USD50 million.
At the opening ceremony, James C. F. Huang pointed out that “The feast of India has already begun. This expo is a concrete action to participate in the feast. It symbolizes that we serve our best food in response to and as recognition for Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India, Smart City, Skill India, Digital India, and Green India policies. We intend that, through our Taiwan Expo in India, excellent manufacturers from Taiwan will be able to help India reach its policy goals."
Mr. Huang further stated that IT technology is the backbone of all industries. Taiwan’s expertise in IT hardware and India’s capabilities in software can be interconnected. As a result, many Taiwan IT companies regard “IT” as “India + Taiwan” cooperation. Mr. Huang is also optimistic about the cooperation between Taiwan and India to create new industrial opportunities for one another.
Mr. Huang added that he hopes, that through this platform, the link between Taiwanese and Indian people will be enhanced. He pointed out that because India and Taiwan have different languages and cultures, and that state laws are also different, it is not so easy for Taiwan to access the Indian market. There are 100,000 Taiwanese businessmen in mainland China, 25,000 in Southeast Asia, but only 106 in India.
Despite such challenges, TAITRA is dedicated to assisting Taiwan's businesses, not leaving them to struggle alone. In fact, TAITRA just set up a new office in New Delhi last month and, joined with the offices in Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore, assisted petrochemical, electric vehicle, and smart city developers to expand business in India. TAITRA will also promote and develop advantageous industries such as machine tools, food processing, and green energy based on India's interests.
The expo served as a response to the government's policy on trade with India. Eight image galleries and eight major industry zones were presented from six major aspects: smart cities, electric vehicles, green environmental protection, health care, cultural tourism, and LOHAS consumption. Taiwan's cutting-edge technologies, advantageous industries, and cultural tourism resources were also demonstrated. There was also a Smart Industry Forum, India-Taiwan Electric Vehicle Forum, and Smart Medical Forum held to strengthen industrial cooperation between the two countries.
Shri L C Goyal, President of the India Trade Promotion Organization, said that the Indian government and Congress were all very pleased to have Taiwan as a partner for developing their economy and moving toward success.