India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has taken a decisive step towards inducting the PRALAY short-range quasi-ballistic missile, following significant progress in development and evaluation.

The Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) has been formally granted by both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, marking the beginning of the transition from prototype validation to series production.

Two Defence Production Partners (DcPPs) have already been identified under the Ministry of Defence’s Make-in-India framework to commence manufacturing once final user trials conclude.

Developed as a cost-effective, high-precision tactical missile, PRALAY is designed to neutralise critical targets within the 150–500 kilometre range bracket.

It bridges the gap between the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and the Prahaar battlefield support missile, enhancing India’s conventional deterrence posture under the nuclear threshold. The system provides commanders with a rapid, responsive capability for striking enemy command posts, radar installations, logistics nodes, and airbases deep within contested zones.

The missile employs a solid-propellant motor derived from DRDO’s established rocket technologies, ensuring reliability, reduced maintenance, and ease of deployment.

Its guidance suite integrates an inertial navigation system augmented with satellite-based mid-course correction. The missile also features aerodynamic controls and thrust-vectoring for in-flight manoeuvrability. These enable quasi-ballistic flight trajectories with terminal phase manoeuvres to defeat hostile surface-to-air interceptors.

In terms of mobility and versatility, PRALAY can be launched from an 8x8 high-mobility Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL) platform compatible with both Army and Air Force rapid deployment schemes. The fully road-mobile design ensures operational flexibility and launch concealment.

The system’s ability to fire multiple missile variants—equipped with unitary or submunition-based conventional warheads—provides mission adaptability for a broad spectrum of targets.

Recent user evaluation trials conducted by the Strategic Forces in July 2025 demonstrated the missile’s consistency across its full operational envelope.

Two back-to-back launches validated PRALAY’s minimum and maximum range performance, confirmed precise impact accuracy, and verified the reliability of its avionics under simulated combat conditions.

These test results prompted the Indian Air Force to issue a Joint User Trial directive to harmonise operational tactics and logistics integration across both services.

The Army’s Artillery Directorate and the IAF’s Tactical Strike Command will together define deployment doctrines and integration with sensor networks, including ground-based surveillance radars and aerial reconnaissance feeds.

This joint adoption reflects India’s evolving emphasis on multi-domain flexibility and integrated battle management systems tailored for limited conventional conflicts.

Series production of PRALAY is expected to begin simultaneously across the identified industrial partners, reducing production bottlenecks and ensuring timely deliveries.

Private-sector participation under the indigenous content mandate will also strengthen India’s missile production ecosystem, complementing ongoing programmes such as BrahMos, Akash NG, and Astra.

Upon induction, PRALAY will significantly extend the reach of India’s theatre-level conventional strike capability. Its blend of manoeuvrability, survivability, and cost-efficiency will make it a cornerstone of India’s evolving precision-strike arsenal, capable of shaping future ground and air campaigns with minimal collateral and rapid operational turnaround.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)