Director-General of TECC Chennai explains his idea of ‘Design from Taiwan, Make in Tamil Nadu’
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in Chennai has been functioning for the past 14 years promoting cultural relations, besides facilitating travel, business opportunities
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in Chennai has been functioning for the past 14 years promoting cultural relations, besides facilitating travel, business opportunities to students, industrialists and others. In an interview with The Hindu, Director-General of TECC Chennai Stephen S.C. Hsu explains how Taiwan and south India could strengthen collaborations under his idea of ‘Design from Taiwan, Make in Tamil Nadu’. Here are the edited excerpts India and Taiwan have steadily expanded their engagement in recent years. How do you assess the current state of bilateral ties, particularly between Taiwan and South India? Taiwan and India enjoy a strong and steadily growing partnership built on shared democratic values, economic complementarity, and mutual trust. South India, particularly Tamil Nadu, has become one of the most dynamic regions for Taiwan’s engagement. According to the statistics of our Ministry of Economic Affairs, bilateral trade between Taiwan and India has reached a record high year by year. In 2024, the bilateral trade volume between Taiwan and India exceeded 10 billion US dollars for the first time, reaching 10.6 billion US dollars, and in 2025, it reached a new record of 12.5 billion US dollars. It has reached 8.6 billion US dollars from January to June (2026), an 43% growth over the same period in 2025. There should be a chance to set a new record this year. However, Taiwan’s trade between India and Taiwan accounts for only 1% of Taiwan’s total annual import and export trade, and there is still a lot of room for growth. As of June 2026, nearly 325 Taiwanese businessmen have invested in India, creating about 2,14,400 jobs. Today, our cooperation extends well beyond trade. We are working together in semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, information technology, higher education, and talent development. More Taiwanese companies are investing in South India, while educational and cultural exchanges continue to grow. Tamil Nadu’s industrial strength, skilled workforce, and the ecosystem make it an ideal partner for Taiwan. I believe the relationship between Taiwan and South India has entered a new golden phase—from cooperation to long-term partnership and ecosystem integration. Are there any specific sectors you think offer great potential for deeper collaboration between Tamil Nadu and Taiwan in the coming years? Absolutely! There are several sectors where Taiwan and Tamil Nadu can achieve win-win cooperation. First is the semiconductor, AI and electronics industry.
Taiwan is a global leader in semiconductor and AI industry, while Tamil Nadu is rapidly emerging as an electronics and advanced manufacturing hub. Second, electric vehicles and green technologies present potential opportunities. Taiwan has strong capabilities in EV components, batteries, precision machinery, and smart mobility solutions. Third, digital transformation, Industry 4.0, and smart advanced manufacturing will become increasingly important areas of cooperation. Ultimately, I believe our cooperation should focus not only on investment but also on innovation, talent cultivation, and joint research. Are there scholarship opportunities and academic exchange programmes that may be of interest to students from Tamil Nadu? Certainly! Taiwan offers a wide range of opportunities for students from Tamil Nadu. Over the past three years, we have provided six scholarships to Tamil Nadu students. Taiwan Scholarship (Ministry of Education) for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Recipients generally receive the following monthly stipend * Undergraduate students: NT$15,000 per month * Master’s and Ph.D. students: NT$20,000 per month * The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Taiwan Scholarship provides the following monthly living allowance * Pre-degree Mandarin Language Enrichment Program (LEP): NT$28,000 per month * Undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph.D. degree programs: NT$33,000 per month In addition, MOFA scholarship recipients receive * One-way economy-class airfare to Taiwan at the beginning of the program and one-way return airfare upon successful completion of the scholarship. * Possible tuition and miscellaneous fee reductions or waivers offered by the host university (these are determined by the university and are not guaranteed by MOFA). * The MOFA Taiwan Scholarship is intended to encourage outstanding international students to pursue higher education in Taiwan while strengthening friendship and bilateral relations between Taiwan and partner countries. * Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) for students who wish to study Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan. * Scholarships offered by Taiwanese universities, many of which provide tuition waivers and monthly stipends. * Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP), which offers international students hands-on research, laboratory experience, and short-term internships at Taiwanese universities and research institutions. * International Internship Pilot Program (IIPP), which connects talented international students with internship opportunities in Taiwan’s leading industries, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and advanced manufacturing. * Research fellowships, academic exchanges, and joint university programs that promote international collaboration. These programmes may provide tuition support, monthly living allowances, research funding, internship opportunities, or a combination of these benefits, depending on the specific program.
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