I'm a bit confused.....We have been giving India sheds load of aid for years and years and continue to do so, yet now we have to go like beggars, cap in hand, for a slice of India's upcoming business boom.

Rather than grovelling, shouldn't we actually be DEMANDING our money back, instead of the typical British act of having to feel guilty for past mistakes in this part of the world?

I'm now reading that we are going to contribute to building massive infrastructure in India yet still we don't see anything coming back from their side, bar the usual take, take, take.

World's gone crazy....

you're an idiot

You certainly are.

What do you think of the Chinese by the way - and I don't mean the takeaway down the road.

There are plenty of things for which to blame Cameron.
A trade mission to a BRIC country, especially India, with whom we still have strong links, isn't one of them.

especially if it ends up in a deal to buy Hawk and Euro Fighters, securing many jobs across the UK.

Especially if we can open call centres here and phone them claiming our name is Ranjit.

Spot on. Whilst there may be issues around sending aid to a country with nuclear weapons and a space programme (but in my view why punish those in need) I don't see how anyone could be critical of a PM attempting to gain trade ties and investment from another country.

I hope he stays in India.

is there anything you don't have a picture for???

Cameron is doing the right thing for the UK trying to establish strong links in BRIC countries like these as these are the ones that are rising from low income to middle income countries.

Most of the things the UK exports are things that middle or high income countries buy, eg aircraft (especially defence), nuclear reactors and equipment, advanced electrical equipment, optical equipment, surgical equipment, pharmaceuticals, financial services, insurance, creative industries, precious metals, precious stones, jewellery etc. Our main export markets are the USA, Germany, France, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands etc. All high income countries. China and India are the next two approaching this income level and naturally they will start looking to import the types of things the UK produce so our exports should rise in line with their development.

However other countries also produce some of the things we do so they will be competing for market share in China/India too, so we have to work hard at this point to establish the right links and be the first movers in those markets. The UK has an enormous advantage over USA and Europe in India due to existing cultural links and lots of British exporters have family ties in India that they can play on too, so we have to really nail the Indian market as it is going to be a huge market that wasn't there before.

He's not even apologised for the Amritsar massacre either the fool.

Won't hurt that he can have a bit of a word about scrapping the corruption investigation that threatens to drop AugustaWestland into the doo-doo either, while he's there.

Nice use of the phrase "batting for Britain" while he's there as well, generalising an entire nation as cricket lovers and making reference to a cricket team that doesn't exist.

He's an ad-man, one that I wouldn't choose to employ.
A t0sser like Blair.

Ask him about his food at Leeds Train station too.

I must apologise for my original post, which was badly worded and as obviously lead to being a bit misunderstood.

I have to say that I have no problem at all with David Cameron, or any UK politician, going to any country in an attempt to negotiate some much needed trade for our nation - My main query was whether India should actually be in a position to negotiate, as such, with the UK, considering the aid we have given them and look likely to continue to offer in years to come.

I'm not saying we should be able to just waltz up and demand they give us back all our cash, but I just don't believe that we should have to go, almost cap in hand, asking for a piece of what is likely to be a very hefty pie, considering our money has helped them so much during harder times.

I fully appreciate that we have a not so glorious history in India, but, similarly, we have been a very helpful partner when other nations have ignored or even threatened the Indians.

On the other hand you could work on the theory that the UK does not stand in isolation to the rest of the world and when a country like India, a former colony, has huge population and poverty problems while conversely having massive potential for business investment, then you'd have to be quite a big fool to decide to not take advantage of your connections, help out where needed, invest as partners and reap the benefits as partners - its a bit like what we did to India in the 1800s but this time we all smile at each other because they have the same weapons as we do (which we sold to them).

It could be a very big win/win situation for British businesses, lets hope they don't hide all their profits over there.

Camerons half hearted apology is nothing compared to what Britain should apologise to India for !

I hear the Beaker People are still waiting for one as well. Shocking.

I've been tweeting Berlusconi for years demanding an apology for the Roman occupation but he's having none of it.

is that because it's f'c all to do with Italy?

I refuse to apologise for things that happened before I was born.
I can regret them but I can not apologise in any meaningful way.

As I had to explain to an Irish colleague once, I had nothing to do with the potato famine.
a) I wasn't around at the time.
b) At that time, my ancestors were being oppressed by the same establishment as his were.

To his credit, he "got it" immediately.

IIRC Italy didn't exist until a chap named after a biscuit united it.

sounds about right to me, hence asking Italy to apologise for what Rome did in nonsense.

better off asking the Vatican to apologise for giving the world Catholicism! (child abuse, opression of women and homphobia)