India and Australia are likely to start civil nuclear negotiations Wednesday when visiting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard meets Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the national capital, sources said.

"During delegation-level talks between the two leaders, Australia is expected to negotiate sales of uranium to India, though the final deal may take some time. A formal announcement is also likely on a nuclear safeguards agreement that would allow Australia to export uranium to India," the sources said.

Australia doesn't sell uranium to India, even though the international community has allowed India to do nuclear commerce.

However, the Australian prime minister, currently on a three- day state visit to India, her first such visit, has reportedly said before embarking on her tour that uranium sales to India would not start quickly.

According to Australian media reports, Gillard said that negotiating the civil nuclear agreement with India is "likely to take one or two years, rather than months.