The Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation is to visit India as part of a drive to highlight education and research opportunities in Ireland.
In a statement Damien English said India represents a "fantastic market for Irish education institutions and associated companies".
The statement said the visit was about promoting Ireland as a "top class respected education destination".
The visit coincides with revelations on RTÉ News of a private college in Dublin that owes tens of thousands of euro to students from developing countries including India.
Students have paid around €4000 each for business and other courses in Ireland.
However after entry visas were refused they have found it impossible so far to get their money back, as is their legal right.
Shelbourne College in Dublin has closed today as students in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Philippines continue to try to get the money owed to them returned.
It is not yet certain whether its closure is permanent or not.
Minister English is leading a trade mission with Enterprise Ireland, and will be accompanied by the head of marketing for the organisation.
Giles O'Neill said Ireland's education institutions had made "a strong name for themselves in India" and continues to grow their share of the huge Indian education market with the number of Indian students studying in Ireland having doubled to more than 1,500 over the past three years.
The statement says the aim was to double this number over the next three years. It says Indian students make an enormous contribution to the Irish economy.
The visit includes attendance at a student recruitment fair in New Delhi, and workshops with Indian education agents.
Indian agents have emailed RTÉ News complaining about these large sums of money owed in refunds to students in India.
They say they have been trying since June to get this money returned.
Meanwhile former director of Shelbourne College Catherine Laffey said she believed the language institution was closed.
Yesterday, Ms Laffey said she had resigned her directorship and shareholdings in Shelbourne College several weeks ago, but she said her resignation had yet to be processed.
