TT: Will you set up a Taiwan desk similar the one you set up in Vietnam last month?
Hui: We talked about it [setting up a Taiwan desk in India] for the last 12 months. This is the second time I have come to Chennai to look at opportunities. We’re ready to put people here. And I’d like to get things going by the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
We’ll be adding two or whatever number of [Mandarin-speaking] bankers to leverage on the platform or products of our India businesses since the bank, as a global player, already has a huge infrastructure here.
TT: What financial services do you foresee Taiwanese businesses requiring if they decide to come to India?
Hui: In terms of products, we can do everything. Whatever we’re offering Indian clients, we can offer to Taiwanese clients. It depends on what the company needs from us, whether it’s working capital, refinancing, trade finances, mergers and acquisitions or corporate financing.
TT: How well is the Taiwan Desk in Vietnam doing?
Hui: Unlike our rivals, we’re not just hiring Vietnamese Mandarin-speakers. We’re sending people from Taiwan, who understand the clients’ culture. The feedback from our Taiwanese clients has been good although it’s too early to say whether we have turned a profit from the investment.
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