Taiwan Expo 2025: Lessons on Technology, Manufacturing, Trade, and India–Taiwan Partnership

I recently attended Taiwan Expo 2025 at Bharat Mandapam and was fascinated to learn about Taiwan from so many perspectives, technology, industry, culture, and trade. It was great to meet top companies including Foxconn, Delta Electronics, and others. Here’s what stood out:

Taiwan & India: Taiwanese firms recently have invested ~US$5B in Indian manufacturing, signaling a deeper tech partnership. India is now emerging as a key player in the semiconductor & electronics value chain and partnership with Taiwan is crucial to get technology and know-how. On the other hand, India provides a huge and growing market for Taiwanese firms and a large base of design talent including for chip design.

Important industry facts:

• Taiwan accounts for over 60% of global semiconductor foundry revenue (TSMC leads).
• Exports contribute ~70% of GDP, making it one of the world’s most trade-dependent economies.
• Taiwan consistently ranks among the top patent filers per capita globally.
• Manufacturing accounts for ~36% of GDP – far higher than most economies.
• TSMC alone contributes ~8% of GDP and ~12% of exports.

Fun Facts

1. Size: About the size of Kerala (~36,000 sq km)
2. Population: ~23 million (smaller than Delhi)
3. Ethnicity & Religion: ~95% Han Chinese; mix of Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity & folk religions
4. Major Cities: Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Tainan anchor its economy
5. Tourism: From Taroko Gorge to Sun Moon Lake, millions visit each year
6. Industrial Zones: Hsinchu Science Park & others drive the global semiconductor supply chain

Ranked 8th globally in competitiveness (IMD, 2024), Taiwan’s Smart Taiwan 2030 vision focuses on innovation, inclusion & sustainability.