Post Brexit, Ireland can be a suitable alternative to the United Kingdom for Indian businesses looking at having a base in the European Union (EU), the Irish envoy here said on Saturday.
Ambassador Brendan Ward also said that there has been a surge in interest by companies from India for setting up a base in Ireland, where, as of now, 100 Indian firms have a presence, even as the bilateral trade between the two countries stood around Euro 4 billion annually.
“Ireland is a committed member of the EU and we work through the partnership which exists between the EU and India, while at the same time we have our own strategic approach. Sometimes India is a little overshadowed by China and Japan and part of my work here and my team here in India is to raise awareness of India in Ireland and particularly among Irish business people and investors. At the same time, Ireland is rather little known in India and an important role for us is raising that awareness,” Ward told PTI.
“One major factor that we have to deal with is that the United Kingdom has exited EU and for many Indian businesses thinking of a location for presence in Europe, the UK would have been the first choice. Now, a lot of them are looking at Ireland,” he said, on sidelines of an education fair where Ireland promoted itself as a destination for higher studies for Indian students.