Noting that India is making its mark on the global economy with electrifying skill,

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innovation and dynamism, British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said that now is the time to make a "stronger, wider and deeper" relationship with India.

"We want a relationship between India and Britain that is stronger, wider, and deeper," Hague said.

Launching the India Institute at the King's College in London last evening, the British Foreign Secretary said that India is already one of the largest economies in the world and will soon have the world's largest population.

"Now is the time to study India, to invest in India and to work with India. This applies to all of us, to those of us in Government seeking a stronger foreign policy and economic future for this country; to businesses seeking to expand, and to individuals seeking new opportunities and a deeper understanding of today's world," he said.

He said India is leading the way in the development of renewable energy and green technologies. "It is playing an increasingly important role in the affairs of the world - from tackling piracy off the Horn of Africa to United Nations peacekeeping and development support to Afghanistan."

Hague, who announced that he would be visiting India later this year, said: "We want the brightest and the best to come to Britain. We have made our immigration system far more efficient and targeted... But we are clear that if you want to come to Britain legitimately as a student, a business person or a visitor, then you are very welcome in the UK."

The King's India Institute, which opened its doors to students in September 2011, is already rapidly becoming a world-leading institution for global engagement with contemporary India.