It is designed to be a 182m (600ft) high tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a hero in India's independence struggle, in Gujarat state.

Axar.az reports citing BCC that India's statue has cost 29.9bn rupees (£330m; $430m) and is seen as a pet project of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The "Statue of Unity", as it is known, will be inaugurated by the Indian leader on 31 October.

Once completed, the bronze-clad statue - which was begun in 2013 - will be nearly twice as tall as New York's Statue of Liberty.

It is hoped the site will become a significant tourist attraction for the country's westernmost state.