'India's ICBM test raises alarms over regional security'
A leading think tank has warned that India's latest long-range missile test is a dangerous development with serious implications for regional and global peace and stability.
On August 20, India test-fired its longest-range missile from Odisha with the impact point deep in the Bay of Bengal. Officially, the missile is said to be nuclear-capable and capable of carrying multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs).
According to the Strategic Vision Institute (SVI), since joining the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2016, India has enhanced its missile programme, gaining access to advanced technologies and equipment. It added that MTCR membership has also facilitated India's acquisition of armed drones and other strategic systems. Despite international commitments, India had earlier misused the 2008 NSG waiver to accelerate nuclear weapons production, while remaining the world's second-largest arms importer between 2020 and 2024, according to SIPRI.
The institute said that India's pursuit of advanced weaponry, combined with doctrines inspired by Hindutva ideology, reflects hegemonic ambitions and aggressive posturing. "India's repeated acts of aggression against Pakistan in 2016, 2019 and most recently in May 2025, underscore this mindset," the report stated, adding that such ideology also translates into hostile policies towards minorities at home and destabilising conduct abroad.