In a test that makes it one of six countries with strike nuclear capabilities and to launch counterattacks by land, sea and air, India's Ministry of Defense announced that the country successfully tested a STYA missile launched on Friday from the first locally manufactured nuclear-powered submarine.

This test makes India join the United States, Britain, Russia, France and China in nuclear deterrence capability.

On the other hand, the test of a ballistic missile launched from a submarine built locally in India confirms that country's progress on the road to producing its own military equipment.

India is one of the world's largest arms importers and continues to rely on the purchase of equipment from Moscow, its largest and oldest military supplier in decades.

The Ministry of Defence said in a statement: "The launch is important to demonstrate the crew's efficiency and verify the proper operation of the ballistic missile launcher nuclear submarine programme, which is an essential component of India's nuclear deterrence capability."

He confirmed the success of all operational and technical standards of the "INS Arihant" arming system in the Bay of Bengal.

India has fought a number of wars and has been experiencing long-standing border disputes with its neighbours, Pakistan and China, which possess nuclear weapons.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government recently unveiled the first batch of Indian-made attack helicopters designed for use in high-altitude areas such as the Himalayas, where its forces clashed with China in 2020.

In September, the first homemade aircraft carrier launched INS Vikrant, one of the world's largest 262-metre warships and was put into service after 17 years of construction and testing.