Some Indian officials have balked at Apple's (AAPL.O) demands for concessions before it assembles iPhones there, raising doubts about a spring deadline to launch a key project in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to lure foreign investors.

The country is still keen for the U.S. tech giant to produce its signature smartphones there, and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday that India would keep an "open mind" in negotiations.

"We will very much like Apple to come and have a base in India," he said.

#India