India's Modi Hails 'Strong Ties' Ahead Of Visit

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a three-day visit later as his country seeks to strengthen commercial ties with Britain.

Mr Modi will meet Prime Minister David Cameron for talks in London, and later at Chequers, with Mr Cameron hailing the trip as an "historic opportunity".

The visit is the first by an Indian Prime Minister in almost a decade.

Britain is already the largest investor in India among G20 nations, and India invests more in the UK than it does in the rest of the EU combined.

Billions of pounds worth of commercial deals between the two are expected to be signed over the coming days.

One of the major events on Mr Modi's itinerary will be an address at London's Wembley Stadium on Friday evening.

Mr Modi will also address British Parliament, despite the fact Parliament is not in session, and tour the Jaguar Land Rover factory in Solihull.

But the visit comes at a difficult time for Mr Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party at home in India.

The party was defeated recently in a bitterly-fought regional election, which many attributed to Mr Modi's waning influence.

Protests have been planned for outside Downing Street against Mr Modi, whose government has been criticised for undermining Indian democracy.

Writing on Facebook before the visit began, Mr Modi said the trip was aimed at "strengthening cooperation with a traditional friend".

The visit will also build on the "strong ties" between the two countries on defence and security, he wrote.

"I am confident my UK visit will deepen our ties and we will cooperate extensively in a range of areas of shared interests," Mr Modi wrote.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Cameron said: "This isn't just a historic visit; it's a historic opportunity.

"It's an opportunity for two countries, tied by history, people and values, to work together to overcome the biggest challenges of our age.

"Prime Minister Modi and I intend to grab that opportunity with both hands. Because in doing so, we can make two of the greatest countries in the world even greater."