NEW DELHI (AFP) - India said Wednesday it was looking at adopting some of the "anti-terror" strategies adopted by the United States in the wake of the deadly Islamic militant attacks on Mumbai last November. The Congress led-govt, which has come under strong opposition criticism over the delayed response by authorities to the attacks that left 165 people dead, insisted it was much better prepared to deal with any new strikes. "Our level of preparedness is much higher than it was three months back and in the event of any attack, our response will be swift and deterring," said Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram. Chidambaram, India's former finance minister, was named in December to head the home ministry after the government admitted intelligence and security lapses involving the Mumbai attacks. The government is keen to be seen acting tough on security which is expected to emerge as a key issue in general elections that must be held by mid-May. India dispatched a team to the US to study anti-terror strategies prepared in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Chidambaram told parliament. "The team has come back and we are trying to replicate the strategies studied there that suit our requirements," Chidambaram said. In the meantime, the home minister said India was ramping up security arrangements. There will be much better coordination between various security, spy and data agencies as of next month when a multi-agency centre known as MAC will be in place, he said. Other improvements included better weaponry for security forces. Coastal security had also been strengthened after the Mumbai attackers travelled to India's financial hub by boat, he said. Help was being given to coastal states to use boats, jeeps and motorcycles for land and sea patrols. The government was also setting up 20 counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism schools, he added.