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Two prominent academics from Heriot-Watt University are due to join Deputy First Minister John Swinney on an official trip to India, this week.
Professor Garry Pender and Professor Rory Duncan are part of a delegation of higher education leaders and officials from the Scottish Government, Scottish Development International and the British Council.
The visit between 23-29 November will seek to promote trade and investment between Scotland and India in the priority areas of technology and life science.
The programme has been organised in partnership with Scottish Development International, Universities Scotland, the British Council and VisitScotland.
Currently, Heriot-Watt has 486 students of Indian domicile and there are approximately 150 Scholarships available to Indian students across campuses in Scotland, Dubai and Malaysia.
Speaking ahead of the visit, John Swinney said: “There is much we can learn from India, a country highly regarded for its spirit of creativity, entrepreneurship and young ambitious workforce.
“Equally, Scotland can offer a lot of expertise in areas that the Indian Government have identified as important, such as clean water and data driven innovation, and I look forward to discussing these priority subjects further.
“Working with the delegation from our world renowned universities we will highlight the strengths and achievements of Scotland's higher education sector and promote the exciting opportunities for Indian students to visit, work and study here.”
Professor Garry Pender added: “We're delighted to be accompanying the Deputy First Minister and showcasing our first-class research.
“As a university, we have a rich history in developing world leading research and technology in the health sector. This includes a distinctive mix of mix of rehabilitation technologies, healthcare device manufacture and our fundamental research in neuroscience.
“We also have the most powerful microscope in the UK and are renowned for our work on assisted living using robotics and AI technologies, cataract diagnosis and therapies – which all relate to the important theme of this visit.”
For more information about the mission in India, visit studyinscotland.org or #ScotlandwelcomesIndia on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.