New Delhi: Ireland can be a suitable alternative to the United Kingdom for Indian businesses looking at having a base in the European Union (EU) post-Brexit, said the Irish envoy to India, Brendan Ward.

Ward said there has been a surge in interest by companies from India for setting up a base in Ireland, where, as of now, 100 Indian firms have a presence, even as the bilateral trade between the two countries stood around Euro four billion annually.

"Ireland is a committed member of the EU and we work through the partnership which exists between the EU and India, while at the same time we have our own strategic approach. Sometimes India is a little overshadowed by China and Japan and part of my work here and my team here in India is to raise awareness of India in Ireland and particularly among Irish business people and investors,” Ward said.

At the same time, Ireland is rather little known in India and an important role for us is raising that awareness," he added.

"One major factor that we have to deal with is that the United Kingdom has exited EU and for many Indian businesses thinking of a location for presence in Europe, the UK would have been the first choice. Now, a lot of them are looking at Ireland," he said, on the sidelines of an education fair where Ireland promoted itself as a destination for higher studies for Indian students.

The UK had on January 31 formally exited the EU, now a 27-member economic bloc, more than three-and-a-half years after the country voted for it in a referendum in 2016.

The Irish envoy said Ireland and the UK have a common language and his is the only other English-speaking country in Europe besides having a common legal system.

"The Irish and the English common law are pretty much the same as here in India. We are one time zone closer to the American east coast in the way the UK is and of course we have all the advantages of being a member state of the EU and complete free access to the European market," Ward said.