TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The establishment of Taiwan’s Mumbai representative office will help Taiwan-India ties, Indian scholars have said.
Srikanth Kondapalli, a professor and dean of the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said that Mumbai is a market Taiwan must invest in, as its business environment is continuously improving, CNA reported.
As India-U.S. relations are currently at a high point and future cooperation between the two countries in critical technology fields is expected to be closer, Taiwanese companies can seize this opportunity to seek business opportunities, Kondapalli said.
He pointed out that the Indian military has a naval base in Mumbai, which serves as a stronghold for India to project its influence in the Indo-Pacific. With the opening of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Mumbai, maritime cooperation between Taiwan and India can be further strengthened, he said.
Kondapalli said Taiwan should have established a presence in Mumbai earlier. Although Taiwan and India reached an agreement as early as last year, it was not until Wednesday that concrete progress was made, indicating that unnecessary bureaucracy should be reduced.
Namrata Hasija, a researcher at the Indian think tank Centre for China Analysis and Strategy, said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Mumbai will be Taiwan's third representative office in India, per CNA. This demonstrates the continuous advancement of Taiwan-India relations and creates a win-win situation for both countries.
She explained that Mumbai is India's economic center with excellent infrastructure, making it suitable for Taiwanese investors.
Hasjia said that geopolitically, India has always done what is in its best interest and does not need to consider other countries’ feelings. Allowing Taiwan to establish a presence in Mumbai is advantageous for India, especially in terms of economic benefits, she said.
The researcher mentioned that people often ask if the Indian government is cautious about Taiwan due to concerns about China. Now, India has answered this question through concrete action, she said.
Taiwan established a representative office in New Delhi in 1995 and an office in Chennai in 2012. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Mumbai will be its third office.