In Kannada we say 'Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw', and in Canada we say 'Laksha Swagatam', and in English we say 100,000 welcomes to all of you to St. Patrick's Day celebration today.
Let me start by welcoming our ambassador, Ambassador Kevin Kelly, who always is such a delight to have at St. Patrick's Day because he's the one that gets things going. And I think at a time when the whole world is in deep turmoil, I think nothing better than St. Patrick's Day to bring us all together at this moment of joy and bonhomie and to remind us that we are all one. We are all in it together and we all must celebrate together the good times and bad. But this is a time for us to remind ourselves that we need to basically celebrate humanity and celebrate bonhomie and celebrate the coming together of all of us today.
So let me start by saying that I think Ireland and India have always enjoyed a very, very close partnership and I'm so proud to be representing Ireland in India in the city of Bangalore. And you know, I've always owed my origins to Ireland because I don't think I would have started Biocon without that very important encounter with an Irish biotech entrepreneur that got me started.
And I'd also like to say that I have built my links with Ireland over the years in many, many ways. It started with biotechnology and then it went on and on in many, many other spheres. And I'm very happy that, as you know, the Honorary Consul General in Bengaluru, I've had the opportunity of deepening this engagement through many, many initiatives including the Science Gallery Bengaluru which now is a hallmark of Bengaluru's scientific ecosystem.
I also want to take this opportunity to reflect on the very important India-Ireland business trade mission that we had last year which was kindly organized by Kevin Kelly and we had a very successful trade mission if I may say so. We had very, very good meetings with the Taoiseach and many, many of the ministers. Jack Chambers actually visited us very recently and forged even deeper relations with India. I think there's a lot happening on the research front, on the academic partnership front, on the trade front and many others. And I think it's extremely important for us to acknowledge the presence of many Irish IT and startup companies in Bengaluru and the fact that even Indian companies have basically invested significantly in Ireland in technology is a great testament to our partnership.
I think St. Patrick's Day is one day which will go on being celebrated in the city of Bengaluru long beyond my tenure and I'm sure that it'll continue to be a day that everyone looks forward to because it is about bonhomie, merriment, enjoyment and celebration and this is what we need today. So with that, I'd like to thank all of you again and to hand it over to Kevin to say his words of wisdom.
Thank you so much. So there were a few words in my language. Kiran started with 'Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw' but I just said to you, thank you very much for the 'Laksha Swagatam' and you're all very welcome here today. Ladies and gentlemen, Kiran, friends of Ireland, all of our guests here today, I think I'm beginning to start to look like St. Patrick at this stage. He was an old man, I think, with white hair and started to move very slowly in his older age and he traveled a lot. He started his journey in England and moved to Ireland as a slave and brought Christianity. Now I didn't bring Christianity to India but I feel as if I've been wandering like St. Patrick for the last week because we had another high-level visit in India this week. Our Attorney General came and so we celebrated St. Patrick's Day in Delhi. Then we moved to Mumbai. We celebrated again. And then of course the last was always the best. I always put this is my favorite one because Kiran and her team always put on an amazing spread. So please everybody give a cheer to Kiran and her team. This is by far the best because I don't have to play any role in organizing it. I just turn up like St. Patrick.
But Kiran said it already. Ireland, India, we have a very long history and a very rich history. And in fact, in my two and a half years here, I've been spending a lot of time trying to make that history relevant to a new generation of Indians because many older Indians know about Ireland. They know they were educated in Irish schools with Irish priests or nuns. They heard some of the stories about Irish revolutionaries, De Valera and Boland and all of these historical connections. And so we've been trying to tell that story but also to talk about the future and to use it as a platform to build our relationship with India going forward. And I'm really happy to say that we're making great progress. Just last year Minister Jaishankar, the Foreign Minister, came to Dublin and our government developed a new action plan for deeper engagement with India. And of course it's about three things. It's about trade links which are very strong. So not many of you might know but Ireland is one of 27 EU countries but we account for 10% of the total EU trade with India. It's about 16 billion euros and there's so much more we can do.
The other of course is people-to-people links and that's what's so important about an event such as this but we're looking at partnerships between universities, between our supreme courts in Dublin and in Delhi, there's so much links happening. And the third one is about strengthening our political links. So already in March, Kiran, we've had one former President, one former Prime Minister and four government ministers in India and we're still in the month of March. So there's a real uptick in our relationship and we need to get it to go even further in the future. But just to say that in this wonderful city of Bangalore, what great weather. I always dread going back to Delhi from Bangalore because the weather is always kinder here. But how lucky are we to have this lady, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, as our Honorary Consul. We are the envy of many countries. I notice it doesn't go unnoticed that the first person the British High Commissioner comes to visit in Bangalore is straight to Kiran or the new US Ambassador, Sergio Gor. But you can't have her. We have her and she's not allowed to leave us because we're very honored and Kiran brings a huge amount of depth and substance to the relationship.
And I'll just conclude by saying that another innovation which we started last year and we're going to continue is we established a very high-level Ireland-India Economic Advisory Panel. And Kiran was referring to that. It's a few very influential, successful people in business who came to Dublin for 24 hours to meet the most important political leadership there. And we are going to, the next phase will be here because I'm happy to announce, it hasn't been formally announced yet because we have to seek an invitation, but it has been decided that our Prime Minister, the first visit he will do in 2027 will be to India. So I'm hoping Bangalore can be on his itinerary there. But just thank you so much, Kiran. Thank you everybody for honoring us. Thanks to St. Patrick, the gift that keeps on giving, but I'm happy to say that this is the last one for this year and I really, it couldn't be in a better place. So, good. Thank you.
Guys, before we head off, I just want to, just one second. I just want to wish Kiran auntie a happy birthday. So, we're all going to sing for her and she's going to cut us a cake. Her birthday is on the 23rd, so it's a little early birthday.
I want to still stay at my own 'Forever Young'. Forever young.
It's not today my birthday. It's tomorrow. So don't age me.
Come. I want you. Okay. Good girl.
I have surrendered to every year. She leads us in a song. But we need some Irish people up here. Where's Bridget?
Bridgets are so pretty. I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone. As she wheeled her wheelbarrow through streets broad and narrow, crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh. Alive, alive, oh. Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh. She died of a fever and no one could save her, and that was the end of sweet Molly Malone. Now her ghost wheels her barrow through streets broad and narrow, crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh. Alive, alive, oh. Alive, alive, oh. Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh. Everybody! Alive, alive, oh. Alive, alive, oh. Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh.
