Ireland sees potential to build strategic relationship with India in the area of education, its visiting Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton has said.
"We believe we could have research collaboration, more student and faculty exchange to grow and expand relationship in education area", Bruton told Business Line after meeting his counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman in the capital on Friday.
Already, several universities of Ireland have strategic memorandum of understanding with Indian universities and institutes.
Bilateral trade has been seeing double digit growth in recent years, largely driven by services sectors.
Bruton said he discussed with Sitharaman synergies between the two countries in the area of ICT, pharmaceutical and services and the potential for Indian companies to use Ireland as a base when exporting into Europe.
"Our ambition is to double the number of Indian companies located in Ireland to sixty from the current level of 30.This should happen in next three-to-four years", Bruton said.
Both the Ministers also discussed the prospects for the resumption of talks on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, which could provide India with improved access to the EU.
Srivats.kr@thehindu.co.in