New Delhi: The India-EU Free Trade Agreement is “just the starting point” for deeper cooperation between the two sides, particularly on strategic relations and people-to-people ties, Jack Chambers, Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalization, said in an interview with ThePrint.
“I think the FTA is the starting point for deeper cooperation on people-to-people ties, business, economic cooperation and, I guess, the opportunity for both economic blocs to deepen this broader economic and trade relationship. And we’ve seen in other agreements where that’s happening, it’s a catalyst for much more. So we’re really at the starting point for that,” Chambers said. “It also strengthens diplomatic engagement on wider global issues, and the need to advocate for multilateralism and the role of the United Nations is obviously something we share in Ireland and Europe, as well as in India. »
The Irish minister, in India on a three-city visit, including stopovers in the national capital, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, on Monday met Jitin Prasada, India’s Minister of State for Electronics and IT, and Jyortiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Communications on Tuesday.
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Chambers noted that India presents a “great opportunity” for Irish businesses to sell “their goods and services”. Dublin’s strength lies in its strong technology sector, which has seen the presence of Indian companies including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
Indian imports of goods from Ireland have increased significantly over the past three to four years, while exports have remained stagnant. Indian imports from Ireland increased from around $600 million in 2019-20 to $5.4 billion in the current financial year 2025-26.
Dublin’s largest exports to India include electrical machinery and equipment, which increased significantly to around $4.777 billion this year, up from around $300 million five years ago.
As part of growing economic diversification, Dublin signed plans to launch a joint economic commission with New Delhi last year during Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s two-day visit to Ireland.
“There’s been a lot of work going on in the background, and I think it just requires formal approval now. And that’s about to happen… from what I understand. Part of the visit for me is, I guess, to really deepen neutral trade ties and economic cooperation between our two countries,” Chambers told ThePrint.
“We have a lot of synergies and shared opportunities. Obviously, technology, pharmaceuticals, financial services and the digitalization agenda are common goals of both countries. Many Indian companies have invested in Ireland as a base for the European Union. And many Irish companies are now looking to India and trying to build that cooperation,” he added.
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Indian community in Ireland
Interacting with students of Lady Shri Ram College for Women on Monday, Chambers highlighted Ireland’s complex role in Indian history, from aid to the British Empire to strong ally of the nascent freedom movement in the early 1900s.
Chambers introduced students to the growing Indian community in Ireland, which today numbers about 100,000 people, or about 2 percent of the European nation’s population.
However, despite the growing Indian community in Ireland, a number of attacks, allegedly motivated by racism, were reported last year. Between July and August, at least 13 individuals of Indian origin were attacked in Ireland, including an IT worker, a six-year-old child and a taxi driver.
Chambers told ThePrint that the Irish government has focused on “keeping Indians safe” over the past year, with targeted action by police forces to address “fears” facing the community there.
“I understand and recognize the fear and panic that took place last summer, both for the Indian community living in Ireland, but also for the media coverage that took place as a result of this. There has been a huge commitment at a government level and from our police services to help the local Indian community have a specific dialogue, but also to ensure public safety since these incidents. And that continues,” Chambers said. “Ireland is a diverse, welcoming and inclusive country that has been built on our ability to attract the best talent internationally.
The Irish minister added: “Ensuring security is a fundamental principle of how we want to run our country. So I recognize the difficulties that have existed over the last year and the shocking attack on a number of people. But we have put in an enormous amount of work, and our police forces have put in an enormous amount of work, to try to address those fears and create a sense of security in the daily lives of Irish people. That is a real priority for us.”
Chambers represents Dublin West in the lower house of Ireland, the Dáil Éireann, which he describes as one of the “most diverse constituencies” in the country, with a large Indian community. “I understand every day the enormous contribution that the Indian population has made to Ireland and some of the companies that have come here and built businesses in Ireland, but also the national desire to really diversify our global trade,” he said.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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