The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee congratulated DRDO on the successful test-firing of the Prithvi Defence Vehicle(PDV) Interceptor Missile.

In a message to Dr. S. Christopher, Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development and Chairman, DRDO, the President has said, "I extend my hearty congratulations to all those associatedwith the successful test-firing of the Prithvi Defence Vehicle(PDV) Interceptor Missile.

India now joins a select group of nations having suchan effective Ballistic Missile Defence System. The nation is proud ofthis accomplishment made by DRDO. This is a significant milestone in boosting India’s defence capabilities and will provide enhanced security against incoming ballistic missile threats.

Kindly convey my greetings and felicitations to the members of your team of scientists, engineers, technologists and all others associated with this mission. I wish the DRDO continued success in the coming years”.

This release issued at 1720 hrs.