The tall men's club, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, has about 300 members.

The association, which meets once a month, is to set up a marriage bureau, an employment exchange and a directory listing of tall men.

The Hindustan Times reports it isn't clear whether female members will have to be a certain height.

The average height of men in India is 5ft 7ins. In rural areas, tall people are targeted with jokes about their intelligence and agility.

The club's founding member and treasurer, Jinny Ipe Tholath, told the paper: "For many, we are just a laughing stock. We want to change the attitude of society."

The group's tallest member, 7ft tall Kamaruddin, added: "We hardly fit into side berths on trains. In cinema halls we have to insist on back rows. On buses we can't even stand properly."

The association, established four years ago, wants to grow by enrolling members from other parts of India.

It hopes to expand to Maharashtra state, where Bombay's film community is based, and invite 6ft 2ins Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan to join.