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NEW DELHI - INDIA'S stocks and commodity exchanges will be closed on Thursday due to the coordinated attacks by gunmen across India's commercial capital Mumbai, a spokesman said.
'Considering the prevailing abnormal situation and the government's advice' for people to remain indoors, 'it has been decided to keep the markets closed for the day', a spokesman for the Mumbai stock exchange said.
Officials said it was not certain if the markets would reopen on Friday.
The streets in south Mumbai's commercial district were largely deserted Thursday morning, with most offices closed.
Meanwhile, Indian Trade Minister Kamal Nath said on Thursday the attacks on high profile targets in the country's commercial capital would not slow investment into an ecomomy already under strain.
At least 86 people were killed by gunmen in the attacks on some of Mumbai's top hotels, a popular cafe, a busy railway station and other locations. Hostages were taken in two of the hotels.
'This does not have an economic component. It's an unfortunate event. These type of things have happened in New York and other major cities,' Nath told Reuters by telephone.
'(There will be) no slowdown in investment flows.' The global downturn has already rattled Indian financial markets and a credit squeeze has prompted the government and central bank to take a series of measures to lift sagging growth.
The central bank expects the economy to expand by 7.5-8 percent in the 2008-09 fiscal year, slowing from 9 per cent. -- REUTERS, AFP
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