London: Two more NRIs - Diljit Rana and Sir Kumar Bhattacharyya - have been appointed to the House of Lords by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

While Rana, founder of Andras House, Belfast's leading property development company and first Honorary Indian Consul in Northern Ireland, is an independent, Bhattacharyya, Professor of Manufacturing at the University of Warwick, belongs to Labour.

Prof Bhattacharyya, who was earlier made a CBE (Commander of the British Empire), advises Government and industry on policy-making and strategy.

Combining academic rigour with industrial flair, his goal is to spur innovations which are practical and actionable.

Instead of endless "best practice" theories, Bhattacharya explains how working methods need to match both technology and ambition.

Of the 46 new peers, 23 belong to Labour, eight to Liberal Democrat and just five to Conservative. A further seven peers will sit as Crossbenchers - Independents - and the Prime Minister has made two personal, non-political nominations: Sir Edward George, former Governor of the Bank of England, and Sir John Kerr, the former head of the diplomatic service.