In the ever-volatile chessboard of South Asian security, India’s recent missile advancements have become a lightning rod for both national pride and regional anxiety. On one hand, the successful testing of the extended-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and the operational debut of the Agni-Prime ballistic missile have been heralded within India as milestones of indigenous technological prowess and strategic autonomy. On the other, these very developments are fueling deep concerns among neighbors and international observers, raising questions about the trajectory of India’s military doctrine and its impact on regional stability.
To grasp the magnitude of these events, it’s worth revisiting May 2025—a month that saw the crucible of Operation Sindoor. According to Eurasian Times, this operation marked the combat debut of the BrahMos missile, with Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets launching precision strikes deep into adversarial territory. The targets: terror hideouts and infrastructure linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK). The result, as reported by Indian officials, was devastating. Over 100 militants were eliminated and terror camps destroyed, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh proclaiming, “BrahMos is not just a missile, but it is a symbol of the country’s growing indigenous capabilities… Every inch of Pakistan is under the range of the BrahMos missile, and the whole country knows the power of it. Whatever happened during Operation Sindoor was only a trailer, my friend.”
This “trailer,” as Singh put it, was quickly followed by an even more dramatic reveal: the successful test of an 800-kilometer range BrahMos variant. This leap, from previous ranges of 290 km and 450 km, wasn’t just a technical upgrade—it was a strategic earthquake. With the new range, all of Pakistan’s major military and strategic assets, as well as critical installations in the northern and eastern frontiers, are now within India’s conventional reach. The missile’s supersonic speed—Mach 2.8 to Mach 3.0—means it can strike before most adversaries can even react. Its pinpoint accuracy, with a reported Circular Error Probable (CEP) of just one meter, allows for highly targeted, surgical strikes that minimize collateral damage. And its integration across land, sea, and air platforms gives India a flexible, multi-domain deterrent.
But the BrahMos story is only one act in a much larger play. As Pakistan Today and other regional outlets have pointed out, India’s military posture since May 2025 has become increasingly assertive. Following what Pakistani sources describe as a “humiliating defeat” in the Four-Day War, India has doubled down on its missile program—not just with BrahMos, but with a series of nuclear-capable ballistic missile tests. The most recent, on September 24, 2025, involved the Agni-Prime (Agni-P), a new-generation, canisterized Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) launched from a rail-based mobile launcher. This missile, with an operational range of 1,000 to 2,000 km and a payload capacity of 1,500 kg, is capable of carrying Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs), delivering both conventional and nuclear warheads to multiple targets.
The Agni-P is a game-changer in its own right. According to The Diplomat and the Indian Ministry of Defence, the test simulated a “full operational scenario,” with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) collaborating on the launch. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh celebrated the achievement, noting, “This successful flight test has put India in the group of select nations having capabilities that have developed a canisterised launch system from an on-the-move rail network.” The missile’s mobility—enabled by India’s vast 70,000-kilometer rail network—means it can be rapidly dispersed and concealed, making it difficult for adversaries to track or target. Decoy launchers and the use of rail tunnels as hardened bunkers further complicate detection, enhancing India’s second-strike capability and reducing vulnerability to preemptive attacks.
Yet, these advances are not without controversy. Critics argue that India’s aggressive missile testing and the public threats of a potential “Operation Sindoor 2.0” are heightening tensions in an already fragile region. The MaRV and MIRV capabilities of Agni-P, for instance, are seen as destabilizing, potentially increasing the risk of miscalculation between nuclear-armed neighbors. As Pakistan Today warns, “Agni-P’s range, mobility, and warhead options pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability.” The missile’s ability to target all of Pakistan and key military assets in southwestern China provides New Delhi with a credible counterforce option, but it also compels adversaries to reassess their own deterrence strategies.
India’s pursuit of longer-range missiles extends even further. The test of the Agni-V on August 20, 2025—a Mach 24 nuclear-capable hypersonic missile with a range exceeding 7,000 km—places all of Asia and parts of Europe within striking distance. Two new variants under development are reportedly capable of delivering massive bunker-buster warheads to hardened military infrastructure, including nuclear command centers and missile silos in both Pakistan and China. And the Agni-VI, still in the pipeline, is expected to have a range of up to 12,000 km, theoretically placing the entire globe within India’s reach.
Meanwhile, India’s domestic defense industry is surging. The new BrahMos manufacturing unit in Lucknow is expected to produce around 100 missiles annually, and export contracts worth $4,000 crore—including a landmark deal with the Philippines—underscore the global appeal of India’s precision weapons. For the Modi government, these achievements are not just about military hardware. They are about self-reliance, strategic autonomy, and a growing role as a “Net Security Provider” in the region. As Rajnath Singh has repeatedly stressed, “BrahMos is a symbol of the country’s growing indigenous capabilities.”
But the narrative is far from unanimous. While Indian officials tout the BrahMos and Agni programs as pillars of a credible, conventional deterrent—capable of delivering surgical strikes and avoiding nuclear escalation—critics see a dangerous pattern. The rapid expansion of missile capabilities, the public rhetoric of punitive action, and the willingness to test nuclear-capable systems in quick succession are viewed as destabilizing steps that undermine prospects for peace. As prominent defense analyst Pravin Sawhney has argued, Pakistan is now a “peer competitor” of India, and New Delhi would be wise to avoid kinetic warfare it cannot decisively win.
Ultimately, the future of South Asian security will hinge on whether these technological triumphs are wielded as tools of deterrence or as catalysts for escalation. The BrahMos and Agni-Prime missiles have undoubtedly shifted the strategic balance, providing India with new options and greater confidence. Yet, as history has shown time and again, the true test of power lies not in its possession, but in its restraint. For now, India stands at a crossroads—celebrated by some as a beacon of indigenous innovation, and watched warily by others as a harbinger of regional instability.
