India-Taiwan Tech ties: Karnataka inks cooperation pact on AI, digital economy

Indicating the growing India-Taiwan technology partnership, the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) inked a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B), marking a step towards deeper collaboration between Taiwan's Internet, Communications, and Technology (ICT) sector and India's innovation ecosystem. The agreement lays the groundwork for a future Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance technology, innovation, and the digital economy between Taiwan and Karnataka.

At the ongoing 'Electronica 2026', an electronics industry trade fair in Bengaluru, the LoI was signed by TCA Manager Hsin-Lun Tsai and IIIT-B Registrar Cmde. SR Sridhar, in the presence of witnesses Stephen Hsu, Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in Chennai, and Dr Dennis Hu, CEO of Foundation for Commerce and Culture Interchange (FCCI) and Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM).

Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, said the LOI between Taipei Computer Association (TCA) and IIIT Bangalore marks an important milestone in strengthening Karnataka’s technology ecosystem and expanding global partnerships in innovation and the digital economy. The collaboration opens new opportunities for knowledge exchange, business matchmaking, academic-industry engagement and ecosystem development across AI, electronics, smart manufacturing, smart cities, cybersecurity and GCCs. We look forward to supporting initiatives that foster innovation, accelerate industry collaboration and further position Karnataka as a leading global technology hub.

TECC, which facilitated this initiative, called it the "first technology cooperation LOI between Taiwan and South India. Of the more than 300 Taiwanese firms operating in India across sectors, approximately 75 per cent operate in Southern states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Established in 2012, the TECC in Chennai serves as a de facto Taiwan Consulate and as a bridge connecting Taiwan with all five Southern Indian states, three Union Territories, and the island nation of Sri Lanka.

Commenting on the strategic importance of the collaboration, Director General Stephen Hsu of TECC said, Taiwan possesses a robust industrial foundation in ICT, semiconductors, and electronics manufacturing, while Karnataka, centred around Bengaluru, serves as one of India’s vital technology and innovation hubs. The two sides share complementary strengths with deep cooperative potential. The signing of this LoI marks an important milestone as we transition from bilateral exchanges toward institutionalised collaboration. We look forward to leveraging our respective advantages and resources to progressively yield tangible and sustainable outcomes in the future.

Under the agreement, both organisations will explore joint initiatives across key high-tech domains, including AI, electronics, smart manufacturing, smart cities, and cybersecurity. The framework includes ongoing knowledge sharing, policy dialogues, business matchmaking, joint seminars and conferences, and bilateral delegation exchanges to support closer institutional and commercial ties.

Highlighting the scope of the collaboration, Prof. Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT-Bangalore, said that the Letter of Intent provides an opportunity for IIIT-Bangalore and the Taipei Computer Association to explore meaningful cooperation across technology, innovation, and the digital economy. The proposed areas of collaboration, including artificial intelligence, electronics, smart manufacturing, smart cities, and cybersecurity, offer scope for knowledge exchange and mutually agreed initiatives. We look forward to developing this engagement further through a future Memorandum of Understanding, he added.