NEW DELHI, India — India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested its indigenously developed Pralay quasi-ballistic missile off the coast of Odisha on Thursday.
The missile was tested from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island as part of user evaluation trials. Data recorded through various range instruments deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur confirmed that all objectives had been achieved.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the armed forces and industry partners on the achievement. “DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously developed Pralay Missile off the coast of Odisha,” Singh said.
“The test was conducted as part of user evaluation trials and successfully met all the stipulated objectives, as validated by data captured through various range instruments,” he added.
The Defence Ministry said the successful completion of the evaluation process brings the missile system closer to induction into the armed forces, adding that its induction has become imminent.
The Pralay missile has been developed indigenously by the Research Centre Imarat in Hyderabad, along with other DRDO laboratories. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), one of the development-cum-production partners, has manufactured the missile system. The project brings together DRDO’s research and development capabilities and domestic defence manufacturing, reflecting India’s efforts to strengthen self-reliance in the defence sector.
Ashok K. Behuria, a senior fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, said to NNP “ the successful test marked another milestone in strengthening India’s defence capabilities and improving the operational preparedness of its armed forces.”
He said “the achievement demonstrated India’s growing technological capabilities and manufacturing strengths. Behuria also linked it to the government’s Make in India initiative and its broader vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, or self-reliant India.”
According to Behuria, “the missile’s advanced technologies would further enhance the technological capabilities of the armed forces and improve their preparedness to respond to emerging security threats. He said the development of indigenous defence systems would contribute to strengthening India’s domestic defence industrial base.”
The latest test is part of India’s broader push to develop and manufacture defence equipment domestically, with DRDO playing a central role in developing missile systems and other military technologies. The involvement of Indian manufacturers such as Bharat Dynamics Limited also highlights the role of domestic industry in taking defence systems from development to production.
With all stipulated objectives achieved, the Pralay missile system has moved closer to induction into the armed forces. The Defence Ministry, however, did not provide a specific timeline for its formal induction or details about its planned operational deployment.
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