U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States and India are united in fighting “violent extremist networks,” and that the two nations are increasingly working together on homeland security issues.

Her comments came Tuesday in the capital, New Delhi, as she began two days of talks with Indian officials aimed at strengthening political and economic relations.

Clinton said the importance of confronting extremists was made even more clear after last week's triple bombings in India's financial hub, Mumbai, which killed 19 people and wounded more than 130 others.

She also stressed the need for stronger financial ties, calling for more open markets and increased sales of U.S. arms to India.

Clinton said the United States was “encouraged” by renewed talks between India and rival Pakistan, and that the dialogue is the “most promising” approach for building confidence between the two nations.

She met Tuesday with Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, and was also scheduled to hold talks with a range of other senior officials, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi.

Clinton's visit is part of an ongoing U.S.-India strategic dialogue that began last year with talks in Washington.

She also said said Tuesday the United States and India need to resolve issues related to a 2008 civil nuclear cooperation deal, which could open up business opportunities for U.S. nuclear energy companies in India.

On Wednesday, Clinton will travel to India's southeastern city of Chennai, where she is scheduled to deliver a speech on the importance of U.S.-Indian relations, and meet representatives of U.S. companies.