Prince Charles' Indian eco-village

Britain's Prince Charles will build an eco-friendly village in an Indian shanty town.

The heir to the throne hopes the "utopia" for 15,000 impoverished residents will include schools, shops and 3,000 homes according to the Daily Mail.

The venture will take place in either Calcutta or Bangalore and will be modelled on his British eco village Poundbury in the South Western town of Dorset.

Dubbed a "mini oasis in the desert" the 25-acre town will be the first of a series of eco projects in India carried out by the prince's charity Foundation for the Built-Environment.

The son of Queen Elizabeth was inspired to build a model village in India after visiting Mumbai's huge Dharavi slum which was featured in Hollywood movie 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

He said afterwards: "When you enter what looks from the outside like an immense mound of plastic and rubbish, you immediately come upon an intricate network of streets with miniature shops, houses and workshops, each one made out of any material that comes to hand.

"We have a great deal to learn about how complex systems can self-organise to create a harmonious whole."

The project is set to start in the autumn when the charity opens its first overseas office in Mumbai.