Chennai, Oct 7:
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECC) in Chennai hosted the 115th National Day Reception of Taiwan at The Leela Palace Chennai on October 6, with a record 300 guests attending the event.
Director-General Stephen Hsu Shu-chih and his wife hosted the reception, which was attended by political leaders, government officials, MLAs, MPs, academics, business representatives, Taiwanese community members and businesspeople from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Puducherry.
Chief Guest S Vijayakumar, head of the Ministry of External Affairs Branch Secretariat in Chennai, said India-Taiwan economic and trade ties had grown steadily and contributed to India’s economic development and the implementation of the Make in India initiative. He welcomed Hsu’s vision of “Design from Taiwan, Make in Tamil Nadu.”
Hsu said bilateral trade reached a record US$12.5 billion in 2025 and had already touched US$12.9 billion during January-August 2026, a 61% year-on-year increase. More than 350 Taiwanese companies have invested in India, creating over 200,000 jobs, with about two-thirds located in South India, particularly Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Hsu said Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors, ICT, AI, advanced manufacturing and green energy complement India’s talent, market and manufacturing capabilities. He also highlighted educational exchanges, noting that 60 students from eight South Indian universities assisted with the reception and that TECC Chennai had recruited 20 Indian student interns since June.
The event featured Mandarin-language performances by 22 students from SRM University and Chennai Institute of Technology. They performed a dance from the Taiwan-India co-produced film Demon Hunters and sang two Chinese songs.
The reception also featured the screening of Taiwan’s 2026 National Day video, The Album of Our Nation, marking 30 years since Taiwan’s first direct presidential election, along with a video showcasing TECC Chennai’s people-centred public diplomacy initiatives.
Hsu described the students assisting with the event as “Ambassadors of Friendship” between Taiwan and India and said TECC Chennai would continue strengthening the India-Taiwan partnership.