Britain's prime minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown called for a successful end to the Doha round of global trade talks, saying it would help win the "high stakes" of globalisation.

"It will be a victory ... for both Britain and India whose future prosperity depends on an open free trade world," Finance Minister Brown told business leaders in a speech in India's southern high-tech city of Bangalore.

"Successful conclusion to the world trade round would be a start to winning the high stakes on globalisation on which each of your companies' futures" depend, he added.

The Doha round, launched in the Qatari capital in November 2001, is deadlocked. Western and developing countries remain split on issues such as agricultural subsidies and market access.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) suspended the latest round of trade talks last July after negotiators failed to reach an accord.

"But although the time is short I believe the will is there both from the US and from Europe and both must move on agriculture," said Brown, who is heading a 150-member delegation to India, the largest Britain has ever sent to its former colony.

Brown, who arrived in Bangalore earlier Wednesday, said Europe had to offer further market access.

"Significant progress by the US must also be made to reduce trade distorting agricultural domestic support. Emerging markets must go beyond what is currently on the table on industrial goods and services," he said.

"We must move forward and we must do this together," Brown said.

Brown's first visit to India, officially billed as aiming to step up bilateral ties, is also seen directed at boosting his public profile ahead of his expected promotion to the premier's job later this year when Tony Blair steps down.

British analysts see the three-day visit as a chance for Brown to show he can be an international statesman and overcome charges by Britain's opposition Conservatives that he has ignored India as an "emerging economic giant."

Britain is the fourth-largest investor in India and India the third largest investor in the UK.

Kamal Nath, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, said the deadlocked Doha round of trade talks could have serious consequences for global trade.

"India along with other developing country friends ... have all shown remarkable solidarity and unity to prevent any undermining of their paramount and common objective of development," he said.

"As subsidies continue unabated our farmers will continue to be under pressure from subsidised imports," he said. "Any delay in concluding this round has a serious cost for developing countries and more so for the poorer nations."