David Cameron seeks to impress India with his massive delegation

Not since the days of the Raj, which came to end 63 years ago next month, have so many Brits traipsed to India on an official visit. David Cameron will tonight fly into India with the largest British delegation since the sun came down on the Raj in August 1947. Previous prime ministers, notably Tony Blair, have led large delegations to India before. But Cameron has gone one stage better by taking captains of industry plus six cabinet ministers. There are the obvious big names like John Varley of Barclays and Richard Olver, chairman of BAE. On the ministerial side George Osborne will be heading to India's commercial capital Mumbai. William Hague will accompany Cameron. There are also some intriguing names. Pat Hewitt, the former Labour trade and industry secretary, is also flying on the prime minister's chartered plane. She is a member of the UK India Business Council. Lord Patten of Barnes, the former Hong Kong governor who is currently helping sort out the mess of the Pope's forthcoming state visit to Britain, is travelling too. He is chair of the UK-India Roundtable. Three Olympic gold medallists will add a touch of glamour. They are Lord Coe, Dame Kelly Holmes and Sir Steve Redgrave. Why all the bigwigs? The prime minister wants to open a new chapter in Britain's relations with its largest former colony. But the presence shows how the world has moved on since Brits used to pass through Mumbai's gateway to India in the days of the Raj. It is now India's former rulers who are pleading to be taken seriously by one of the world's fastest growing economies. Full delegation list David Cameron, prime minister William Hague, foreign secretary George Osborne, chancellor Vince Cable MP, business secretary Jeremy Hunt, culture secretary David Willetts MP, universities and science minister Gregory Barker, minister of State for Department of Energy & Climate Change Business delegation 3i: Michael Queen, chief executive officer Arup: Philip Dilley, global chairman Agusta Westland: Graham Cole, managing director Aviva: Andrew Moss, group chief executive Benoy: Graham Cartledge CBE, chairman BERG: Matt Webb, managing director BAE: Richard L Olver, chairman Balfour Beatty: Ian Tyler, chief executive officer Barclays Group: John Varley, chief executive officer B&Q and Kingfisher: Ian Cheshire, group chief executive officer CBI: Richard Lambert, director general Clifford Chance: Stuart Popham, senior partner Climate Change Capital: James Cameron, vice chairman Deutsche Bank: Anshu Jain, head of corporate and investment bank Freshminds: Caroline Plumb, chief executive officer Green Investment Bank Commission: Bob Wigley, chairman and Yell Group chairman JCB: Philip Bouverat, director Johnson Matthey: Sir John Banham, chairman Institute of Directors: Miles Templeman, director general KPMG: John Griffith-Jones, chairman London Stock Exchange: Xavier Rolet, chief executive officer Mott McDonald: Keith Howells, managing director News Corporation: Matthew Anderson, group director Nuclear Industry Association: Keith Parker, chief executive officer Penguin Books: John Makinson, chairman and chief executive officer picoChip: Nigel Toon, president and chief executive officer Promethean: Graham Howe, chairman Rolls-Royce: Miles Cowdry, director of global corporate development SABMiller: Graham Mackay, chief executive Solar Century: Jeremy Leggett, chairman Smiths Detection: Stephen Phipson, group managing director Standard Chartered: Peter Sands, group chief executive officer Standard Life: Gerry Grimstone, chairman UK India Business Council: Rt. Hon Lord Bilimoria CBE, DL, president UK India Business Council: Rt. Hon Patricia Hewitt UK India Roundtable (chair) Rt. Hon Lord Patten of Barnes CH PC MAMA Group Plc Stephen Budd Management: Stephen Budd, managing director Vodafone: Vittorio Colao, chief executive officer Xchanging: David Andrews, chief executive Culture and sports delegation British Council: Vernon Ellis, chairman British Library: Dame Lynne Brindley DBE, chief executive officer British Museum: Neil MacGregor, director Victoria & Albert Museum: Sir Mark Jones, director Premier League: Richard Scudamore, chief executive London Organising Committee of Olympic Games: Rt. Hon Lord Coe KBE, chairman, Dame Kelly Holmes DBE, MBE, president of Commonwealth Games England and Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave MBE, CBE, Olympian Science and education delegation Cambridge University: Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, chief executive of Medical Research Council and vice chancellor Designate Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC): Professor Robin Grimes, advisor civil nuclear research Imperial College London: Sir Keith O'Nions FRS, Rector The Open University: Martin Bean, vice chancellor University of Exeter: Professor Steve Smith, vice chancellor and president Universities UK Wellcome Trust: Sir Mark Walport, director Parliamentary delegation All-party parliamentary group: Jo Johnson MP, deputy chair of all-party brief on India Local government delegation Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead: Liam Maxwell, councillor Sutton council: Cllr Sean Brennan, leader of the council, chair of the executive Upper Eden Community Plan: Alex Birtles, chairman of Upper Eden Futures Technology delegation Harry Metcalfe: entrepreneur and web consultant Edmund von der Burg: independent internet developer Tim Green: independent website developer David McCandless : independent author, creative director and information designer