Apart from Tata, those at the meeting included Reliance group's Mukesh Ambani, ICICI Bank's Chanda Kochhar, Nicholas Piramal's Swati Piramal, the Godrej group's Adi Godrej and Mahindra and Mahindra's Anand Mahindra.

Clinton also said that she hoped to see a number of pacts reached between the US and India in areas ranging from energy to agriculture, including the supply of sophisticated defence equipment to the Indian armed forces.

'We are working very hard to finalise a number of agreements. I am optimistic we will get such agreements resolved, announced,' she said, adding: 'We have common interests, common stakes in the 21st century. We will work together to solve our common problems.'