There is a small community of Indians in Taiwan consisting mainly of immigrants and expatriates from India. As of April 2013, there are about 1,900 Indian residents in Taiwan.[1]
Overview
Indians have been coming to Taiwan since the 1980s — mainly businessmen, jewelers, and scientists. The first Indians to arrive were a community of Sindhi traders. This community used to have around 200 families, but now numbers only 40 or 50 as the majority of them have migrated to China, mainly to Guangzhou. Another similar-sized early group of Indians is made up of families in the diamond and precious stones trade who sell their wares to Taiwanese jewelers.[2][3]
As a part of its "Look East" foreign policy, India has sought to cultivate extensive ties with Taiwan in trade and investment as well as developing cooperation in science & technology, environment issues and people-to-people exchanges.[4] These exchanges have led to a minor influx of Indians into Taiwan, with small groups of Indian nationals springing up in several locations near the country’s larger universities, most notably in Hsinchu and Taipei. Currently, there are almost about 100 Indian scientists alone at the Academia Sinica.
Culture
Signs of an increased awareness of India and its culture are visible on the streets of Taiwan's cities. Yoga, Indian fashion and dance are popular among many Taiwanese people. Ayurvedic spas are cropping up in big hotels and beauty salons nationwide and there are also many Indian restaurants across the country. Many Indian festivals such as Diwali and Holi are celebrated by the Indian community in Taiwan.[5][6]
Immigration to Taiwan