David Cameron today refused to apologise over his declaration that Britain should show 'humility' to India.
The Prime Minister insisted he was not talking down the UK but argued it was right to be 'realistic' about our place in the modern world.
He tried to quell a row over his suggestion as he arrived in India that the UK should bend its knee to its former colony.
But he manage to spark yet more controversy by suggesting Pakistan was promoting the 'export of terror' around the world.
This came hours after Mr Cameron infuriated Israel by branding Gaza a 'prison camp' and criticising its attack on an aid flotilla arriving from Turkey earlier this year.
He has raised eyebrows by being so trenchant during his first spate of international visits since taking power in May.
The PM arrived in Bangalore today at the head of the largest UK delegation since the sun set on the Raj in August 1947.
Despite coming under fire for describing Britain as the 'junior partner' to the U.S. last week, he wrote in The Hindu newspaper that he came 'in a spirit of humility'.
'I know that Britain cannot rely on sentiment and shared history for a place in India’s future. Your country has the whole world beating a path to its door,' he said.
He stood by his comments this morning despite fierce criticism at home that they make it appear he has a reduced view of Britain's once-great place on the world stage
'There is no one more patriotic about Britain, our history, our place in the world, our potential, than me,' he said this morning. 'But I think it is important to recognise that with rising countries like India, we have to work at the relationship and show all the things that we can offer India, as well as the great markets they can offer us.'
He added: 'I'm not in any way talking Britain down... I'm fiercely patriotic about Britain. I think we have a huge role to play in the world. We do still punch above our weight in the world for many reasons - not least the brilliance of our armed forces and our proud traditions, history and institutions, all of which I am madly proud of.
'But at the same time, if you want to win strong relationships with countries like India and China, you have got to talk about the future. Taking a realistic view of our position and place in the world and how we are going to build those relationships, I think, is a very sensible thing to do.'
The Prime Minister also apologised for his gaffe in Washington last week when he said that Britain had been the 'junior partner' to the U.S. in 1940.
He told the BBC he had meant the latter part of World War II and that '1940 is the proudest year in all of British history'.
The PM arrived in Bangalore today at the head of the largest UK delegation since the sun set on the Raj in August 1947.
Despite coming under fire for describing Britain as the 'junior partner' to the U.S. last week, he wrote in The Hindu newspaper that he came 'in a spirit of humility'.
'I know that Britain cannot rely on sentiment and shared history for a place in India’s future. Your country has the whole world beating a path to its door,' he said.
He stood by his comments this morning despite fierce criticism at home that they make it appear he has a reduced view of Britain's once-great place on the world stage
