Rama Krishna Sangem
Foxconn chairman Young Liu is floored by the personal touch and hospitality extended to him by Telangan Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) when they met in Hyderabad last week, March 2. Liu was in India for a week long tour scouting places for his future investments in the country. Foxconn, a Hon Hai Technologies holding company, a Taiwanese major is world’s third largest electronics manufacturer.
Liu who wrapped up his visit left the country wrote a letter to KCR, thanking him profusely for the hospitality he got in Hyderabad. Liu was extended royal welcome at Pragathi Bhavan, KCR’s official residence and a lunch too. As March 2 was Liu’s birthday, KCR presented him a hand written greeting card, along with other gifts. Later, Liu hinted at setting up a plant near Hyderabad that may create 1 lakh jobs here.
Young Liu’s Foxconn is in the news for signing a deal with Anil Agarwal owned Vedanta to set up semiconductor chip manufacturing unit at Dholera in Gujarat at an estimated cost of 20 billion US dollars (approximately Rs 16 lakh crore). This is coming under Narendra Modi’s flagship scheme – PLI (Productivity linked incentives). As per PLI, India will offer around Rs 78,000 crore to Foxconn.
KTR is the reason for Liu visit
Liu may have written a thanks giving letter to KCR. But, it is Industries minister KTR who played a key role in bringing the Foxconn chairman to Hyderabad. We have seen visuals of how KTR, KCR’s son, personally received Liu at Pragathi Bhavan when the latter alighted from his car. Later KTR introduced Liu to KCR and then the CM introduced his ministers and other officials to the visiting corporate honcho.
If Liu said that he now had a friend in India in KCR, the entire credit goes to the CM’s personal touch diplomacy. KCR rarely meets any visiting dignitary. But, when he meets any, that meeting will be memorable to the guest. That is KCR’s specialty. Liu may have visited Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai and PM Modi, but his meeting with KCR will be etched in his memory for the personal bonding he got in Hyderabad.