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
