NEW DELHI - THE Italian company whose local boss in India was beaten to death by sacked workers said on Monday that the killing resulted from a planned attack on their offices.

Former employees at car parts maker Graziano Trasmissioni assaulted chief executive Lalit Kishore Chaudhary, 47, when a meeting held last week to discuss a long-running labour dispute turned violent.

Mr Chaudhary was hit on the head with a stick or an iron rod and was declared dead on arrival at hospital, police said.

More than 60 people have been arrested over charges ranging from murder to rioting, while a total of 136 remain in detention.

The workers were dismissed three months ago after they demanded pay rises and allegedly ransacked the firm's offices in Noida, an industrial district outside Delhi.

Graziano's parent company, Oerlikon, announced in a statement on Monday that it believed the attack on its premises was plotted in advance.

'Mr. Chaudhary's death resulted from what appears to have been a calculated and planned riot, as part of an effort to destroy the relationship between the company and the employees,' it said.

The Italian embassy in New Delhi had earlier expressed concerns that Indian authorities failed to act despite months of threats to the company.

India's Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes was forced to apologise after he appeared to back the workers whom police say killed Mr Chaudhary, calling the attack 'a warning for management.'

The Confederation of Indian Industry led widespread outrage over his comments, saying 'no dispute can be settled by murdering an adversary.' Many Indian business leaders said the death could deter foreign companies from investing in the country.

The district of Noida is home to multi-national firms such as Honda, LG Electronics and Moser Baer. -- AFP