During his second official visit to India, British PM David Cameron wants to build special ties with former colony. With his country indirectly involved in the Finmeccanica scandal, the British leader wants to boost investments during meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pranab Mukherjee.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - British Prime Minister David Cameron told his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh that Great Britain and India should develop a "special relationship". At the same, he said that British authorities would cooperate with India in its probe into the Finmeccanica affair.

After meeting business leaders in Mumbai yesterday, the British leader arrived in New Delhi today for talks with Prime Minister Singh and President Pranab Mukherjee. Investments between the two countries, which share a colonial past, would be at the centre of their talks.

Cameron is on his second visit to India since he took office. As a sign of the importance he attaches to the trip, the prime minister arrived in India as head of Great Britain's largest delegation ever, with four ministers, nine lawmakers, six university heads and representatives of more than 100 companies.

"I've brought with me the biggest ever business delegation to leave Britain's shores and I'm really proud to be bringing them here, to meet with Indian businesses and to link up our countries," Cameron said.

His visit is marred by a scandal involving Italian firm Finmeccanica, which has been accused of paying bribes to sell 12 helicopters made by its Anglo-Italian subsidiary AgustaWestland.

For some analysts, the case could undercut Cameron's plans because the helicopters are being manufactured in Britain. However, the British leader said that his government would cooperate in the matter.

The British delegation's visit comes a few days after French President François Hollande visited the country to sell 126 Rafale combat fighters, a deal not yet inked.

For some observers, faced with their own debt problems, European nations are increasingly using trade missions to take advantage of emerging economies.

Despite a recent slowdown, India's economy is in fact sporting a healthy 6 per cent growth rate.

Ranked 10^th in the world at present against the United Kingdom's 6^th position, India should overtake its former colonial master by 2050 to become the world's third largest economy.

For Cameron, no time should be wasted to nurture the "special relationship" with India. The British leader wants bilateral trade to double, from US4 17.8 billion in 2010 to US$ 35.6 in 2015.

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