India's gold futures slipped on Friday afternoon in step with international markets, but demand remained slack as traders were still eyeing lower prices, traders and dealers said. "There is hardly any (gold) demand at these prices," said Mayank Khemka, managing director with Khemka International in Delhi, one of the large importers of bullion. Traders had stocked the yellow metal in "huge quantities" during the August-November period and would manage with that stock at least till February, Khemka added. Market participants said further moves by traders would depend on prices. Foreign gold, that guides the local market, inched down on Friday as the dollar regained some ground against the euro, with investors mostly taking a wait-and-see stance ahead of key U.S. jobs data due later in the day. The benchmark gold contract MAUG9 for February delivery last traded lower by 36 rupees at 13,393 rupees per 10 grams, after gaining 1.3 percent the previous session. Local market quoted gold 150-200 rupees lower than the bank price, said traders, implying a lack of demand. "If gold falls to $800 an ounce, the disparity will go away," Khemka added. "If (gold) comes to $820-825 levels, then we may see some buying," said a dealer at a Mumbai-based private bank.

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