India conducted a successful test on Monday of a missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the scientists at the Defence Research and Development Organisation on the occasion of the first test launch of the Agni-5 missile, which was developed locally and uses multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology.

This technology involves deploying several warheads at different locations using a single missile, according to the Indian news channel "NDTV". There are only a few countries - the United States, China, Britain, and France - that possess this technological capability.

India, the world’s largest democracy, says that the missile programs it has been developing for more than three decades are for defensive purposes only.

The Agni missile (which means "fire" in Hindi) is among India’s most advanced missile systems. The medium and long-range Agni missile variants are an important part of India’s deterrence program, which mainly targets its two regional rivals, Pakistan and China.