India-Taiwan Economic Ties Expand Beyond Semiconductors, Eyeing Multi-Sector Collaboration
In a significant push to diversify India-Taiwan economic relations, Manharsinh Laxmanbhai Yadav, Director General of the India-Taipei Association (ITA), announced plans to deepen engagement across industries such as petrochemicals, biotechnology, electronics, sustainable manufacturing, and education. Speaking at a PHDCCI event following a multi-sector Indian industry delegation’s visit to Taiwan from June 1–5, Yadav praised Indian firms like Sperry Group and KLJ Group for their efforts and encouraged them to present proposals to Taiwanese stakeholders. Led by Shreyansh Jain of Sperry Plast, the delegation included representatives from the plastics, chemicals, electronics, technology, and tea sectors. A major highlight was the “100-year Celebration of Indian Tea in Taiwan” at the Grand Hyatt Taipei, where premium Indian teas were showcased in B2B sessions with Taiwanese buyers.
The delegation’s agenda reflected Taiwan’s broader interest in engaging with Indian industry beyond semiconductors, with academic and tech exchanges at Yuan Ze University, Amaran Biotechnology, and National Tsing Hua University, along with tours of ITRI and the original TSMC site. Productive discussions with the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei (IEAT) opened avenues for a future MoU, while a visit to Foxconn’s facility furthered dialogue on electronics and supply chain cooperation. For non-Indian companies, this growing partnership signals a rising demand for joint ventures, advanced manufacturing technologies, and third-country collaboration frameworks involving both Indian and Taiwanese firms—offering new opportunities in Asia’s emerging supply chains.
Editor’s Note: India and Taiwan are expanding their economic ties beyond semiconductors, focusing on sectors like petrochemicals, biotechnology, electronics, sustainable manufacturing, and education. A recent Indian industry delegation visited Taiwan, fostering discussions on business collaborations and celebrating “100 years of Indian Tea in Taiwan” with B2B sessions. Key engagements with institutions like Yuan Ze University, Amaran Biotechnology, and Foxconn highlighted opportunities for academic exchanges, supply chain cooperation, and future MoUs to strengthen bilateral trade.
Apple Taps Tata Group for iPhone and MacBook Repairs in India, Deepens Local Ties
Apple has appointed India’s Tata Group to take over complex iPhone and MacBook repair operations from Taiwan’s Wistron in a move that further strengthens its partnership with the Indian conglomerate. According to Reuters, Tata will manage advanced after-sales repairs at its Karnataka-based facilities, beyond what official service centers can handle. This development follows Tata’s recent acquisition of a 60% stake in Pegatron’s local iPhone assembly unit and its growing role in Apple’s India operations, which now includes three iPhone assembly plants and component manufacturing through its electronics division.
India’s importance in Apple’s global strategy is rising as the country becomes the second-largest smartphone market, with 2024 shipments climbing 5% to 155.9 million units, according to Canalys. In Q4, Apple entered the top five smartphone vendors in India for the first time, with shipments growing 39% year-on-year to 4 million units and market share reaching 10.7%. For non-Indian companies, Apple’s shift underscores the growing attractiveness of India as a hub for both advanced manufacturing and high-skill service operations, offering opportunities for supply chain integration, skilled labor collaboration, and strategic investment across tech sectors.
Editor’s Note: Apple has strengthened its partnership with India’s Tata Group, transferring complex iPhone and MacBook repairs from Taiwan’s Wistron and expanding Tata’s role in its India operations, which now include three iPhone assembly plants and component manufacturing. As India becomes the second-largest smartphone market, Apple’s growing presence highlights the country’s appeal for advanced manufacturing, skilled labor collaboration, and supply chain integration.
India Leads APAC in Generative AI ROI, Says Adobe 2025 Digital Trends Report
India is emerging as a global leader in realizing measurable returns from generative AI, according to Adobe’s 2025 AI and Digital Trends India snapshot. Based on a survey of 345 executives and 841 consumers, 23% of Indian businesses reported seeing tangible ROI from generative AI—more than any other APAC country. Key benefits cited include faster and higher-volume content creation (73%) and improved efficiency (67%). Adobe India MD Prativa Mohapatra noted that Indian firms are leveraging AI to scale operations and drive productivity, while also prioritizing the use of agentic AI to streamline repetitive tasks and enhance real-time personalization. At the forefront of this transformation, Air India is deploying technologies like AI.g chatbot and Adobe’s real-time CDP to deliver deeply personalized, data-driven customer experiences.
Despite these advancements, a gap remains between consumer expectations and business delivery: while 77% of Indian consumers want personalized offers, only 53% currently receive them. Nevertheless, over half of consumers are comfortable using AI-powered assistants for tasks such as tech support and order placement—signaling strong readiness for advanced AI adoption. Adobe’s study also revealed that 85% of executives expect generative AI to significantly increase content production capacity in the coming year. Yet, challenges around data infrastructure, governance, and human-AI collaboration remain barriers to scale. For non-Indian companies, India’s proactive approach offers a roadmap on deploying AI at scale, showcasing opportunities for partnerships, AI tool localization, and investment in data platforms that power hyper-personalized customer engagement.
Editor’s Note: India is leading APAC in generative AI adoption, with 23% of Indian businesses reporting measurable returns, particularly in content creation efficiency and automation. Despite strong AI-driven advancements in customer personalization, a gap remains between consumer expectations and business delivery, with only 53% receiving tailored offers. Adobe’s study highlights India’s potential as a global AI hub, offering opportunities for partnerships, tool localization, and investment in scalable AI-driven customer engagement.
OpenAI Expands AI for Impact Accelerator in India, Awards $150K to Nonprofits Driving Social Change
OpenAI has expanded its AI for Impact Accelerator in India, awarding $150,000 in technical grants—mainly as API credits—to 11 nonprofits leveraging AI to address critical challenges in healthcare, education, agriculture, and digital inclusion. This latest phase, launched under the new OpenAI Academy, builds on a year-long engagement with Indian nonprofits and aligns with IndiaAI Mission’s goal of democratizing AI for public good. Notable participants include Rocket Learning, which delivers early childhood education content via generative AI on WhatsApp to reach four million children, and Noora Health, which uses automation to ease nurse workloads while serving more families in low-resource settings. Other beneficiaries like Educate Girls, I-Stem, and Pinky Promise are using AI to locate out-of-school girls, convert inaccessible web content for the visually impaired, and deliver reproductive healthcare at scale with high adherence rates.
The programme is supported by partners including The Agency Fund, Tech4Dev, and Turn.io, and was bolstered by a recent workshop on deploying OpenAI’s latest models for population-scale solutions. OpenAI’s policy and partnerships lead in India, Pragya Misra, emphasized the accelerator’s role in applying AI to solve real-world, socio-economic problems. For non-Indian companies, the initiative showcases scalable, impact-driven applications of AI in emerging markets and underlines the opportunity to collaborate with local innovators. It also highlights the potential for responsible AI deployment in underserved regions—offering a template for adapting advanced technologies to local challenges while promoting inclusive innovation globally.
Editor’s Note: OpenAI has expanded its AI for Impact Accelerator in India, awarding $150,000 in technical grants to 11 nonprofits using AI to tackle challenges in healthcare, education, agriculture, and digital inclusion. The initiative, supported by partners like Tech4Dev and The Agency Fund, highlights the potential for scalable, impact-driven AI solutions in underserved regions while fostering collaboration with local innovators.
Andhra Pradesh Ties Up with Nvidia to Build AI University, Train 10,000 Engineers
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced a landmark partnership with tech giant Nvidia to position the state as a national leader in artificial intelligence (AI). The state government signed an MoU with Nvidia to establish a world-class AI university and develop a thriving ecosystem focused on skilling, research, infrastructure, and startup support. The initiative, led by IT Minister Nara Lokesh, aims to provide AI training to 10,000 engineering students over the next two years and offer 500 AI startups access to Nvidia’s global ‘Inception Program’—enabling exposure to cutting-edge resources and mentorship.
The agreement is a strategic move to future-proof the state’s workforce and attract high-tech investment, aligning with India’s broader ambitions under the IndiaAI Mission. For non-Indian companies, this development highlights Andhra Pradesh as a potential AI and innovation hub with a rapidly growing talent base. It opens doors for global collaborations in education, R&D, and enterprise innovation, especially for firms looking to co-develop solutions, invest in talent, or enter India’s expanding digital economy through a well-supported regional platform.
Editor’s Note: Andhra Pradesh has partnered with Nvidia to establish a world-class AI university, aiming to train 10,000 engineers and support 500 startups through Nvidia’s ‘Inception Program.’ The initiative, led by IT Minister Nara Lokesh, focuses on skilling, research, infrastructure, and startup mentorship to position the state as a national AI leader. This strategic move aligns with IndiaAI Mission goals, attracting global collaborations and investment while strengthening Andhra Pradesh’s role as an AI and innovation hub.
India Launches ‘Bharat Gen’, First Indigenous Multimodal AI Model for Indian Languages
India has officially launched Bharat Gen, the country’s first indigenously developed, multimodal large language model (LLM) designed to support 22 Indian languages. Unveiled by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh at the BharatGen Summit—India’s largest generative AI and LLM summit—this AI platform integrates text, speech, and image modalities to deliver inclusive, region-specific solutions across healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance. Developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and executed via IIT Bombay’s TIH Foundation for IoT and IoE, BharatGen brings together a consortium of academic and research institutions under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The initiative also launched the Generative AI Hackathon 2025, engaging student innovators in solving real-world challenges.
Dr. Singh emphasized BharatGen as a key step in Prime Minister Modi’s “Techade” vision—advancing AI with ethical and inclusive values deeply rooted in Indian ethos. The platform aligns with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and complements existing digital governance platforms like CPGRAMS. For non-Indian companies, BharatGen signals India’s emergence as a major player in AI development—offering opportunities for collaboration in multilingual AI, edge computing, and sector-specific use cases. With 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) and expanding translational research infrastructure, international AI companies, research labs, and digital service providers may find a fertile landscape for localised innovation and public-sector partnerships.
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2133312
Editor’s Note: India has launched Bharat Gen, its first indigenous multimodal AI model supporting 22 Indian languages, designed to enhance healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance with region-specific solutions. Developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems, the initiative aligns with India’s “Techade” vision and presents opportunities for global collaboration in multilingual AI, edge computing, and sector-specific innovation.