The deepening business ties between India and Taiwan have revived demand for learning the Mandarin language and Chinese culture after a period of lull. With India emerging as a priority destination for more Taiwanese companies to set up manufacturing facilities, many of these companies are taking steps to create a pipeline of talent with Mandarin language and culture skills.
Last month, over 100 employees of a manufacturing facility in Hosur went through a workshop on the basics of the Mandarin language and Taiwanese business etiquette. Such programs are becoming more common, especially in Tamil Nadu’s electronics clusters.
The pandemic and worsening geopolitical relations with China had paused demand for Chinese language learning, interpretation, and translation services, but it is now picking up thanks to companies that want to teach their employees the Mandarin language and finer aspects of Taiwanese culture.
Mandarin School, Chennai, was recently engaged by electronics major Tata Electronics in Hosur to conduct a seminar on Taiwan Cultural Awareness and Communication for their employees. Shiv Shankar Nayak, founder of Mandarin School, Chennai, says that over 100 participants were taken through the basics of the Mandarin language, business communication, and Taiwanese cultural etiquettes. “Demand for Mandarin training and interpretation services fell drastically post-Covid, but it is now picking up, and we are in talks with many more companies,” he adds. Since its launch in 2009, Mandarin School has worked with over 15 MNCs to teach Mandarin to staff.
Earlier this year, Taiwanese electronics major Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) signed a ₹30 lakh Mandarin education MoU with four universities to incubate a pipeline of talent with knowledge of the Mandarin language. Foxconn’s India representative, V Lee, recently took to LinkedIn to offer updates of this MoU. “Most recently, a successful proficiency test saw participation from 101 students. We are eager to continue this collaboration to provide further educational opportunities, facilitating cultural exchange and mutual growth,” Lee said on LinkedIn. Partnering with Shiv Nadar University, VEL Tech, Assam Don Bosco University, and Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Foxconn’s MoU gives priority to qualified job seekers who have completed Mandarin courses under the initiative.
Last week, the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) signed an MoU with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) to integrate Mandarin instruction into their curriculum, becoming the 36th such Taiwan Education Centre in India’s universities.
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TECC is the official representation of the Taiwanese government in India and is responsible for promoting bilateral relations between the countries across the economy, trade, culture, and other areas. Since the pandemic alone, TECC’s education division has established 25 Taiwan Education Centres in India. These centres are located within colleges and teach the Mandarin language and aspects of Taiwanese culture to not just students but also senior government officials and employees of Taiwanese enterprises in India.
Senthil Nathan, founder and CEO of AI platform Ailaysa, who often visits the region for business, says that while the top management at Taiwanese enterprises can speak English, the professional and engineering-level people may not be as proficient. If you know the language, you can manage your work or business easily; otherwise, you may miss out on some opportunities, he adds.
Investment promotion officials note there are 26 Taiwanese companies in Tamil Nadu alone in sectors like transportation and warehousing, software and IT, textiles, electronic components, communication, and financial Services. Foxconn, Delta Electronics, Pegatron Corporation, Zheng Ding Technology, and Pou Chen are a few Taiwanese majors in Tamil Nadu. FDI from Taiwan has surged after it was clarified by the government that the Island nation’s investments did not have to go through the government approval route, unlike those from other land-bordering nations.