NEW DELHI: While Ireland's success in the IT industry is based on software product development for banking and financial services, India's forte is in IT services, International Trade Minister Michael Ahren noted at a news conference. "Our strengths are very complementary to each other. Irish and Indian companies could identify specific areas where we can form specific partnership and look at markets in other countries," he said, adding China, whose IT industry is yet to develop, too held great prospects as a market. Ahren is leading an impressive trade mission, the largest from Ireland to visit this country, to develop closer business linkages between mainstream Irish and Indian companies. The mission seeks to promote Ireland as a leader in information and communication technology (ICT) and an ideal choice for Indian students for higher education. The mission comprises representatives of 18 leading universities and educational institutions and IT and industrial firms. The visit of the mission reflects the growing interest in Ireland for developing trade and commercial links with India, members of the delegation said. The universities and educational institutions, which held an education fair in the capital last week, will hold similar fairs in Bangalore and Mumbai. A delegation member said that Indian students find Ireland an ideal place to pursue higher education in IT, business studies, engineering and hotel management. Since the first such fair held two years ago here, more than 1,000 Indian students have been studying in Irish universities, he added. The minister said Irish companies are impressed by the business opportunities in India, for the sale of products and services, particularly outsourcing IT services and industrial components. Referring to Ireland's 9 percent plus growth rate during the last five years, making it the fastest growing economy in the European Union, Ahren said: "Ireland desires to be better known in India as an economic partner and for the role we are playing in the E.U."
Source: IANS