The programme will see the 1,000 graduates carry out internships for a period of 12 months at Tata Consultancy Services offices across India.

The first intake of students will go to India next summer, with the programme expected to continue until 2020.

“India is emerging as a global superpower”

Ciarán Devane, chief executive of the British Council, said the partnership marks a “great new phase in the UK’s developing relationship with India”.

“It is fantastic that a thousand young graduates from across the UK will be able to benefit from India’s expertise in digital technology,” he said, adding that “India is emerging as a global superpower and initiatives such as this will enable the next generations in both countries to engage, learn and grow with each other.”

Last year, the former UK minister for universities, science and cities, Greg Clark, and the India minister for human resource development, Smriti Irani, jointly announced the Generation UK-India programme, which hopes to send up to 25,000 UK students to India by 2020.

The students will carry out study and work placements, teaching assistantships or cultural immersion placements.

The programme has so far received over 7,000 registrations and more than 2,600 completed applications for the first 500 places on the scheme.

Trade and investment minister, Lord Maude, said commented that the UK and India have a strong, successful trade relationship.

“By working in partnership we can deliver real benefits and job creation for both of our economies,” he said.