Indian government wants Apple, but not all officials are biting

New Delhi

SOME Indian officials have baulked at Apple's 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 US 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.