The curious case of Jack Ma's India plans

Mr Ma, who has now stepped down as the executive chairman of Alibaba, told Mr Modi, 'We are excited about India. We are excited about Make in India and Digital India'

In November 2014, Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma told a business gathering in New Delhi that he was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that his company had plans to work with Indian enterprises in the new set-up. That speech by the richest Chinese entrepreneur had gone viral on social media, drawing thousands of comments from both sides of the border. A few months later, Mr Modi addressed a Shanghai symposium while on a three-day China trip. “I have come to say to you, Make in India,’’ the prime minister told the chief executive officers (CEOs) gathered there. The response