Bangalore: The United Kingdom plans to double flights from India next year to 40 a week from the existing 19 flights every week in an effort to boost trade ties with the country.

With about 30 per cent increase in multiple entry visas to Indians, taking the total number of visas to three lakh this year, the demand for more flights between the two nations has been growing, UK High Commissioner to India Sir Michael Arthur said today (Nov 2, 2004).

"The number of flights between India and the UK will go up to 40 from the summer of 2005," Arthur told reporters on the sidelines of the Bangalore IT.COM.

He said the additional flights from London would be to Bangalore, Kochi and Hyderabad, besides the four metros.

Arthur said Britain was considering increasing the multiple entry visa quotas to India next year, which was "more than twice the visas given to any other country".

Earlier he launched "Infinite Possibilities", a guide to establishing a presence in the UK' brought out by the UK Trade and Investment Publication.

He said the guide would be help prospective investors looking at the UK to promote business.

Arthur said UK is the second largest foreign investor in India, while India occupied the eighth position in Britain.

"Out of the 811 new project investments this year, Indian firms invested in 29 projects as against 23 projects by Chinese firms. Two thirds of India's investment were in the IT sector", he said.