The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan addresses a press conference on the Gaganyaan mission, in Bengaluru, India, Jan. 11, 2019. (Xinhua/Stringer)

The training of Indian astronauts at Russia's Gagarin cosmonaut training center may begin next year, a Russian official said on Monday.

"But this largely depends on the results of medical examinations and the timing of decisions by the Indian side on who they will finally choose and send to train in Russia," said Dmitry Loskutov, CEO of the Glavkosmos company, a unit of the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos.

In June, Glavkosmos and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)'s human space flight center signed a contract to support the selection, medical examinations and training of Indian astronauts.

Glavkosmos will present in the first quarter of 2020 to Indian customers the results of studies on the possibility of using Russian flight equipment in India's first crewed mission to space, Gaganyaan, Loskutov was quoted by TASS news agency as saying.

He said that Indian scientists, engineers and designers will arrive in Moscow in the first half of December to participate with Russian colleagues from the Rocket and Space Corporation Energia in the final stage of the project consideration.

The ISRO said in January that it was well prepared to send astronauts into space by December 2021.