“I thanked Prime Minister Cameron for the UK’s support for India’s full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other multilateral export control regimes. We have also decided to commence negotiations on a bilateral Civil Nuclear Agreement,” said the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh after co-chairing the delegation level talks with the British Prime Minister David Cameron here on Tuesday.

India-UK civil nuclear cooperation has gone from strength to strength since the Joint Declaration in 2010. It now includes innovative nuclear research projects and the export of advanced civil nuclear technology and exchanges between scientific institutions.

Both leaders expressed interest in cooperation with regard to India in the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership. In recognition of their commitment to enhance bilateral cooperation further, both leaders agreed to begin negotiations on a civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

The ongoing investigation in Italy on alleged bribery in 2010 AgustaWestland chopper deal with India figured in the delegation level talks. As AgustaWestland is a British subsidiary of the Italian firm Finmeccanica, Cameron assured to share information with India.

”I also conveyed to Prime Minister Cameron our very serious concerns regarding allegations about unethical means used in securing the 2010 contract for Agusta Westland helicopters. I told him that we have sought an explanation from the company by February 22 to examine if the contractual provisions on unethical practices and the Integrity Pact have been violated. I have sought full assistance from the U.K. in this case. Prime Minister Cameron has assured me of the cooperation of his Government in the investigations,” Dr Singh said.

The British Prime Minister David Cameron said : “we will respond to any request for information. Britain has anti-bribery legislation – strongest in the world.”

Cameron committed that UK will make available to India the cutting edge British technology, civil and military, that the UK currently shares with its top international partners, in accordance with international obligations. The leaders agreed to work actively together to achieve India’s ambitions to join the major export control regimes (Nuclear Suppliers Group, Missile Technology Control Group; Australia Group; Wassenaar Arrangement).

“We discussed the prospects of enhanced cooperation in the development of the defence industrial base of India through greater emphasis on technology transfer, co-development and co-production,” Dr Singh said.

Education and science and technology are special areas of India-UK cooperation. “I have impressed upon PM Cameron the need for a visa regime that facilitates greater movement of people between our two countries so that this cooperation can be further energized”, Dr Singh said.

There are about 40,000 Indian students pursuing their studies in Britain and Cameron suggested to be partner in India’s plan for 40 million extra university places and also welcomed more students from India.

Cameron announced to introduced for Indian businessmen a same-day visa service scheme.

On the issue of cyber security, he said : “we’re going to be rewriting our rules on the high technology that we’re prepared to share with our Indian partners to make it one of the closest partnership we have anywhere in the world.”

“We discussed the prospects of enhanced cooperation in the development of the defence industrial base of India through greater emphasis on technology transfer, co-development and co-production,” the Indian Prime Minister said.

The two leaders underlined the importance of cooperation in the field of health and welcomed the conclusion of an over-arching MoU at the government-to-government level to strengthen cooperation in this sector, and look forward to cooperation between the UK’s National Institute of Clinical Excellence and the Indian Department of Health Research, and between the Medical Health Regulatory Authority and the Drug Controller General of India.

Britain assured to support primary healthcare training in line with the objectives of various Government of India schemes/initiatives, encouraging further initiatives to follow the new pilot in Kerala and initial scoping study in Tamil Nadu; and nursing and midwifery training in coordination with national nursing centres.

Both sides discussed the prospects of boosting bilateral trade and investment. “I invited increased British investments in India, including in infrastructure and energy. We have asked our officials to explore British participation in India’s National Manufacturing and Investment Zones and in a possible industrial corridor in the Mumbai-Bengaluru sector,” Dr Singh said.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and Transport for London (TFL) signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a cooperative framework for developing and operating a Metro railway for the country's commercial capital.