British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday said at a joint press briefing with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that there would be a specific discussion between the two countries on how to address the issue of terrorism.

Cameron said this as a reply to a question by an Indian journalist on the commonality between India and Britain in that both countries had suffered attacks from Islamic terrorists. Both countries had suffered from such attacks, Modi noted.

Cameron mentioned the Mumbai attacks and said that it was not just an issue of shutting down terrorist groups but a much bigger effort in which the United States has been playing a lead role. Modi noted that meeting the terrorist threat is not a matter to be addressed by one or two nations but that it is an issue threatening humanity and should be addressed as global issue.

Reuters adds: Modi began a visit to Britain on Thursday expected to yield trade deals worth billions of dollars, but his arrival was overshadowed by protests over a perceived rise in intolerance back home and being bruised by his Hindu nationalist party's election defeat in populous Bihar state on Sunday.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has visited India three times since taking office in 2010 in an effort to forge a closer partnership, but Modi is the first Indian head of government to pay an official visit to London in almost a decade.

His visit comes at a time when a debate is raging in India over accusations that Modi is failing to rein in Hindu zealots trying to impose their values on all Indians.

As Modi and British Prime Minister David Cameron shook hands for the cameras outside Number 10 Downing Street, a crowd of about 200 protesters could be heard shouting anti-Modi slogans nearby.

"Our main concern is that minorities are not safe in India," said Sikh protester Kuldip Singh.

The demonstrators held up banners with messages such as "Modi you are killing Indian democracy" and "Stop religious persecution in India".

About 45 British members of parliament, including opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, signed a motion to debate India's human rights record.

The British government, however, rolled out the red carpet for Modi, who was greeted in the grand courtyard of the Treasury by a guard of honour wearing ceremonial bearskin headgear.