British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday said India and the UK needed to work together to build a better world and aim at prosperity of the two countries.

"I am happy to be here to celebrate, what I call, partnership of equals with modern, confident 21st century India," he told reporters in Delhi after being accorded an impressive ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

He expressed hope that India and the UK would continue to work together to "build a better world".

The oldest democracy and the largest democracy should work for a stronger economy and prosperity of our societies and for a better world, he said.

Brown said he would discuss with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] the ways in which the two countries can work, "not only for benefit of own economies but how to build stronger world institutions."

The two leaders will hold formal talks on Monday, during which they will deliberate on a whole range of bilateral issues, regional matters and iinternational subjects of mutual interest.

Image: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at an official welcome ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images] in New Delhi on Monday.

Photograph: Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images