Ecclestone has indicated he wants to see an Indian Grand Prix

Indian government officials had an hour-long meeting with Ecclestone at Monza on Saturday to advance their claims.

"He's coming in October. If he gives clearance, then we can go for 2006," said Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister of India's Andhra Pradesh state, which includes Hyderabad.

"I'm confident it will happen. Now after China, India is the biggest market.

"The viewing public for Formula One is already 100 million people, it's the second most popular sport back home after cricket."

India has been encouraged by the inclusion of Shanghai on the F1 calendar for 2004, which will become the third Asian venue along with Japan and Malaysia to host a grand prix.

Bahrain will become the Middle East debutant in 2004.

The southern city of Hyderabad, an emerging technology centre, is India's front-runner to stage a race.

"Through Formula One, I can create 100,000 jobs directly and indirectly, then foreign investment will come, hotels, tourism spin-offs. It's a win-win situation," said Naidu.

"If we get the clearance, there is infrastructure - it's only the Formula One track we have to build and that's not a big issue.

"The government is fully supporting building a track and there are already some private donors showing interest."

India "in line for F1"

Ecclestone said earlier this summer that he believed there would be a Grand Prix in India and this was the third round of talks between state officials and F1 representatives.

Circuit designer Hermann Tilke, who was responsible for the new Grand Prix tracks in Bahrain, Malaysia and Shanghai, recently visited India.