In a significant effort to boost ties of trade, investment, entrepreneurship, and innovation between India and Ireland, a high-level Ireland-India economic advisory panel was recently launched by Ireland’s Deputy PM and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris.
The advisory panel has some of the most renowned Indian business leaders connected with Ireland, including Noel Tata, Chairman of the Tata Trusts, Trent and Tata Investment Corporation, Managing Director of Tata International, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CEO of BIOCON, Mohit Joshi, CEO Tech Mahindra, Murtaza Khorakiwala, Managing Director, Wockhardt and Rajeev Mecheri, Co-founder of Invicara & TwinIt, and Ireland’s Honorary Consul in Chennai and senior representatives from relevant Irish departments and agencies.
A special panel discussion was held to mark the public launching of the economic advisory panel on September 4, 2025. In his inaugural remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris referred to extremely strong historical links and the strength of the economic, cultural and people-to-people links which bind India and Ireland. He added, ‘It was in recognition of the huge and undoubted potential which exists in the Ireland-India relationship that I brought an action plan for enhancing our bilateral engagement with India to Government earlier this year.’
‘The scope for more economic links and trade between our two Countries is enormous and I am determined that we make every opportunity to avail of these. This aligns perfectly with the implementation of the government action plan on market diversification to support opportunities for Irish business around the world’, he mentioned.
During the visit, the Indian business leaders comprising the conomic advisory panel called on the Prime Minister of Ireland, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and also attended the Business Roundtable meeting hosted by Minister of State, Neale Richmond. The President of the historic Trinity College Dublin hosted a private dinner at her residence in honour of the visiting Indian dignitaries.
Strongly welcoming and applauding the initiative to constitute the economic advisory panel, Ambassador of India to Ireland, H.E. Akhilesh Mishra, recalled the solidarity and goodwill during the independence struggle and highlighted the importance of enhancing the level of consultations and sharing of experiences and ideas as to vibrant democracies and fastest growing economies of Asia and Europe.
In the current context, the need is to identify complimentary areas and build sustainable, mutually beneficial business models for B2B partnership. He identified startup & innovation particularly in agri-tech, health-tech, and sustainable technologies, as well as professional skilling, as significant areas of opportunity. He expressed hope that the Economic Advisory Panel would play an effective catalytic role by providing advice and insights to the government, state agencies and businesses and other stakeholders on both sides to deepen and strengthen the economic relationship between Ireland and India.
