Britain has pledged its full support to India in its bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

"India will play a lead role in the 21st century and the UK supports India in its bid to become a permanent member of UN Security Council," Kim Howells, minister of state, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said in London [Images] on Monday night.

Speaking as the principal guest at the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Indian Independence, at the Durban Court of Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Howells observed that the India-UK relations during the last 60 years was characterised by "equality and respect".

Both the countries were now working together, among others, to end terrorism, looking at ways and means of tackling the climate change issue and energy security.

He said the Indian population in Britain, which was just about 7,000 in 1945, has grown substantially to 1 million now and was acting as the "human bridge" connecting the two countries for ever.

Lauding the contribution of non resident Indians in London, Howells said, "You have contributed to UK politics, business and your presence here makes our culture richer." He also cited contributions made by writers like Salman Rushdie and Kiran Desai whose works have been recognised in the UK.

Ashok Kumar, MP, Peter Luff, MP, chair and deputy chair, Indo-British All Party Parliamentary Group, Kamalesh Sharma, high commissioner for India and Graham Mackay, chief executive, SABMiller plc, the hosts, also spoke on the occasion.

Luff said the India-UK relations was as strong as Britain's relations with the USA. "We have comparative advantage in developing relations with India," he said.

Stating that there was great potential for developing India-UK bilateral relations, Kamalesh Sharma said no two other countries were better placed than India and the UK in working together for mutual benefit in the fields of trade, culture and educational exchange programmes.

"There is no relation in the world like the India-UK relation," he said.

"This is the start of a relation, the best of which is yet to come," Sharma said.