Taiwan has played an important role in establishing 29 Mandarin language centres at prominent universities throughout India, including Gujarat's Rashtriya Raksha University. This initiative aims to provide increased training opportunities in the Chinese language, particularly during the prolonged standoff with China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The heightened interest in Mandarin is notable, especially within India's security agencies. Additionally, Mandarin remains a favoured language, alongside French, German, and Spanish, for young officers in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
The Indian government has recently reviewed the Confucius Institutes operating in the country, including two centres especially University Grants Commission in Kolkata and Mumbai. Last year, the UGC and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) informed all colleges and universities that any existing or planned collaborations with Confucius Institutes would require clearance under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). Confucius Institutes are governed by the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation, which is also known as Hanban and operates under China's education ministry. These institutes offer courses in Mandarin and Chinese culture, but they have faced increased scrutiny in nations such as Australia, Canada, and the US for their alleged role in spreading propaganda and interfering with free speech and other domestic issues.
India and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, but both countries established representative offices in each other's capitals in 1995. In December 2012, Taiwan also raised an office in Chennai, and now plans to expand its official presence in India by opening a new office in Mumbai. Sameer Patil, the deputy director of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Mumbai, stated that Indians must learn Mandarin, but they have had negative experiences with Confucius Institutes, which are part of China's larger influence operations. Therefore, Taiwan's initiative will help fulfil this critical requirement and strengthen the budding India-Taiwan relationship.
