India carries out maiden intercontinental missile test off Odisha

Strategic balance shifts as India joins elite group of long-range missile powers

India has conducted the maiden test of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) off the Odisha coast.

The test was carried out on Friday evening by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), according to The Times of India.

A defence source told the newspaper that although the launch did not appear identical to an Agni-6 configuration, the missile tested falls under the ICBM category.

The DRDO has not yet issued an official statement confirming the test.

The Indian daily had earlier reported that an ICBM-category missile test was expected.

The development comes days after DRDO chief Samir V Kamat indicated that work on the Agni-6 programme was ready to move ahead once government approval is granted.

ICBM technology is currently held by only a handful of countries, including the United States, Russia, China and North Korea, with France and the United Kingdom operating submarine-launched systems.

Experts say successful deployment would significantly expand India’s strategic reach.

Last week, India’s ruling BJP also hinted at the Agni-6 launch in a post on X, claiming the missile would have a strike range exceeding 10,000km and feature MIRV technology.

Separately, India has also developed a glide weapon system capable of converting unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons, the daily reports.

The DRDO and the Indian Air Force jointly conducted the first flight trial of the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation weapon off the Odisha coast on Thursday, according to India’s defence ministry.

The modular range extension kit is described as India’s first indigenous glide weapon system designed to transform “dumb” warheads into “smart” weapons.