President, PM congratulate scientists on Prithvi-II test firing

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday congratulated Indian scientists on the successful test firing of Prithvi-II missile.

"I extend my heartiest congratulations to all those associated with the successful test-firing of India's indigenously developed Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile," the president said in a message to Avinash Chander, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development.

This significant scientific breakthrough has given a commendable boost to our efforts to step up indigenisation and improve self-reliance in our defence capabilities, he said.

Modi said in his message: "I congratulate the hard work of our scientists that has been instrumental in the successful test fire of Prithvi-II missile".

India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile from a military base in Odisha Friday.

The indigenously-developed ballistic missile with a maximum range of 350 km was fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar.