Mumbai's Archbishop Oswald Gracias has been elevated to the rank of cardinal of India in a special ceremony held at the Vatican.

Gracias, who received the biretta (the red cap) appointing him a cardinal, has now joined the College of Cardinals, which has 201 members.

The ceremony at the Vatican, appointing 23 new cardinals, was held on Saturday.

Gracias, born in Mumbai and ordained as a priest in 1970, had expressed hope to make the Church in India more outward looking and relevant to the present generation. He is the only Asian among the newly elected 23 cardinals.

The cardinal is the president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India and also a consultant to the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts.