Mumbai: India is a key market for Ireland with relations built on shared histories and cultural links. To further strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries, Mr. Robert Troy TD, Minister of State Trade Promotion, Digital, and Company Regulation visited Mumbai to officially open Ireland House.
The opening in Mumbai comes under the ambit of Global Ireland 2025 strategy, creating a great opportunity to harness business in this key commercial and cultural hub in Asia. Establishing a presence in Mumbai is a priority for the Irish government and its state agencies as it will promote Ireland’s trade and investment interests in the commercial capital of the world’s second-most populous and fastest-growing economy.
Commenting on the official opening of Ireland House in Mumbai, Mr. Robert Troy, TD, Minister of State Trade Promotion, Digital, and Company Regulation said, “I’m delighted to be here in Mumbai as part of the St Patrick’s Day global events to open Ireland House and solidify Ireland’s presence in this vibrant and exciting city. Over many years India and Ireland have enjoyed strong cultural and historical links and in recent times our trade relations have flourished – tripling in the past ten years to € 5.5bn last year. The opportunities to grow our economic links are increasing every day and I look forward to seeing the excellent work of our enterprise agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA, together with the work of our Consulate General working under the banner of Ireland House to strengthen our relations even further.” The Ireland House in Mumbai will have offices of the Consulate General of Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland together under one roof, to support and deepen the existing alliances.
Mr. Gerry Kelly, the Consul General of Ireland remarked, “The opening of Ireland House in Mumbai, represents a significant strategic investment by Ireland in our relationship with India in general and Mumbai in particular. This is the latest chapter in the long-shared history between our two countries dating back to the of our respective independence movements in the last century. The opening of Ireland House will support the important work already being carried out by our Consulate and trade and investment agencies in strengthening the business and economic links between our two countries and also offers us the opportunity to promote Ireland as a cultural and tourism destination to local audiences in Mumbai.”
Ecstatic on the opening, Mr. Conor Fahy, Regional Director, Middle East, Africa, India at Enterprise Ireland said, “Ireland has always been excited to associate and expand with India on several grounds. As surging global demands for setting up businesses and exploring career opportunities, our vision is to be accessible for aspiring individuals and organizations across the world. In fact, we have seen an increased interest among Irish companies looking to enter India, thus setting up of ‘Ireland House’ will give these companies confidence to take the plunge. Besides, being co-located with other Irish government agencies will help us leverage each other’s strengths to bolster symbiotic relations with strategic initiatives for both India and Ireland.”
Ms Tanaz Buhariwalla, India Director IDA Ireland said, “India and Ireland have always enjoyed rich ties through economic and cultural relationships. Today Ireland provides a great ecosystem for companies looking to manage European operations. This has helped Indian companies consider Ireland as an expansion base in the EU. With the establishment of ‘Ireland House’ in Mumbai, we are further affirming our strong commitment to providing a pro-business environment to Indian companies.”
With the union of Consulate General of Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, in India the Ireland House will accelerate progress on diversifying and growing Ireland’s exports, inward investment and tourism, particularly in response to the challenges posed by the UK’s departure from the EU.