Hillary Clinton meets staff of terror-hit Taj hotel, captains of Indian industry

Mumbai, July 18 (ANI): Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has begun her five-day visit to India with meetings with staff of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, which was attacked by Pakistani terrorists in November last year, and with captains of Indian industry.

Clinton, who arrived here late last night, began her morning by attending a private ceremony to honour the victims of 26/11. The November's attacks left more than 170 people dead and over 300 injured.

She signed a remembrance book and interacted with some members of the hotel staff.

"I am touched and pleased to meet you," she said.

During her interaction with India Incorporated, she said that India and United States were entering a "new and promising era" of cooperation in various fields including political and economic.

She told mediapersons after the meeting that she had had an "exciting and fruitful meeting with business leaders".

"We discussed an approach to meet the economic crisis. We hope to create a better world for our children. Americans stood in solidarity during 26/11. India and the United States are working to defeat terrorism," she said.

Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani were among the Indian business leaders she interacted with.

Later in the day, she will visit a women's NGO that helps to provide poor women with employment. In the afternoon she will spend an hour at a school talking to volunteers at the Teach India programme, promoting education for the poor.

Clinton is staying in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, and will arrive in New Delhi on Sunday to press for better ties between India and Pakistan and India and United States.

Clinton is said to be keen on people-to-people diplomacy and usually holds town hall events and meetings with civil society leaders on foreign visits. (ANI)