Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today leads the largest-ever Irish trade delegation to India.
The mission comprises three Cabinet ministers and over 120 business leaders from north and south.
The six-day trip is part of the Government's "Asia Strategy", which targets trade opportunities in countries such as Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Delegates aim to open up new markets in the Indian subcontinent for information technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and tourism.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin; Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin; and Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue will be travelling with their officials.
Mr Martin said: "The Indian economy is growing rapidly and is forecast to achieve a growth in GDP terms of about 7 per cent over the coming years.
"The growth of a young well-educated consumer population will help provide great opportunities for Irish businesses to become involved in the expanding Indian market," he said.
The trade mission's itinerary includes visits to New Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore, the capital of IT and bio-technology sectors. Bilateral accords signed will include the Ireland-India Cultural Agreement.
India is the second-most populous country in the world, and its economy is ranked as the fourth largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity.