Britain and India have launched a 10 million pound collaboration on solar energy solutions and new research and net working opportunities. The British Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills Pat McFadden and the Minister for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan announced the new collaboration while chairing the bilateral India-UK Science and Innovation Council in New Delhi last evening . Speaking on the occasion, Mr Pat McFadden said that Britain and India are natural partners of choice in science, technology and innovation. He said the collaboration will complement India's ambitious plans to deploy 20 million solar lighting systems to 10,000 villages and hamlets . Research Councils UK (RCUK) and the Indian Department of Science and Technology (DST) have committed up to 5 million pounds each over a three-year period for two research projects. The research is targeted to push the science of solar energy towards cheaper, more reliable and sustainable electricity production in a wide variety of settings. The two ministers also signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian Department of Science and Technology and the UK Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, which affirms their mutual interest in promoting long-term research, development and innovation cooperation. This MoU includes funding which will be made available by both departments to establish a networking scheme which will start later this year and will provide a platform for UK-based scientists and Indian researchers to continue and consolidate their collaborations for the future.