Barely a week after it appeared the Indian GP won't return to the F1 calendar next year, Bernie Ecclestone has given them fresh hope.

The South Asian country made its Formula 1 debut in 2011 and the Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi hosted the race for three seasons before it was dropped ahead of the 2014 campaign due to tax and bureaucratic issues.

Indian papers reported that the race was unlikely to return in the near future, let alone 2016.

However, F1 supremo Ecclestone says they are still in negotiations with promoter Jaypee Group.

"I hope we have a race in India next year. I am waiting for the promoters to come back to me," he told the Press Trust of India.

"We will do whatever is needed to make sure India is back. There are no added challenges to the event.

"We just need the Jaypee Group to say that 'we are happy to carry on' and we can revive the existing contract."

Pushed on a deadline, he said: "They need to be in a hurry. Within the next two months, we need to know."