Agni - VI Agni - VI is an intercontinental ballistic missile being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO ) for the use of the Indian Armed Forces . Description . Agni - VI will be a three - stage intercontinental ballistic missile , which is in the hardware development phase , after its design phase was completed . Agni VI is expected to have Multiple Independently Targetable Re - entry Warheads as well as Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle ( MaRV ) . And these maneuverable warheads will give Agni VI an extended range exact figure of which is currently classified . It will be taller than its predecessor Agni V , and is expected to be flight tested by 2017 . The government of India is yet to approve the project , although DRDO has completed all calculations and started the engineering work . It is reported to be the latest and most advanced version among the Agni missiles . A DRDO scientist stated that the missile will carry four to six multiple independently targetable re - entry vehicles ( MIRVs ) , depending upon their weight . A few sources claim that the missile would be able to carry up to 10 MIRV warheads . The Agni V , can carry only three MIRVs . Sources claim that the missile will have a strike range of 10 , 000 km , though DRDO has refused to confirm the missile ' s range . A senior scientist was quoted as saying that unlike the bulky Agni - III , the new generation Agni - VI missile will be sleeker , easily transportable and would be readily deployed . It will have the capability to be launched from submarine and from land - based launchers . History . Opacity regarding the development . Till 2009 , it was reported that the Government of India had not considered the development of an ICBM with a range of 10 , 000 km or above . Speculations of an ongoing program for a longer range ICBM resurfaced in 2011 . Some reports claimed that the ICBM is already named " Surya " and code named AGNI - VI . Other reports suggested that New Delhi had not given serious weight to the necessity for an ICBM . DRDO can take up a project to develop India ’ s ICBM only after permission from the government of India . Since India is not a signatory to the Missile Technology Control Regime ( MTCR ) , the Indian missile program is not limited by any treaty commitment to cap the development of ICBM capability . Some media reports had occasionally suggested that , despite India being a non - signatory to MTCR , there is a voluntary moratorium on developing missiles beyond the range of 5 , 000 km . Indian Air Marshal ' s allusion to a longer range ICBM . In June 2011 , for the very first time then IAF ' S Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik vehemently argued in favour of broadening India ' s nuclear strike capabilities beyond the immediate neighbourhood . Naik , who also the head of the Chiefs of staff committee , stated that , " India should pursue an ICBM programme to acquire ranges of 10 , 000 km or even more . Breaking out of the regional context is important as the country ' s sphere of influence grows . We have no territorial designs on any country , but India needs the capability to match its sphere of influence . " The air chief believes that an ICBM is within India ' s capabilities , saying that there was no point in capping the missile programme at 5 , 000 km Doubts about viability . In October 2011 , a report published by " The Pioneer " raised doubts about DRDO ' s ability to independently develop the " seeker technology " ( guidance technology ) eligible for ICBM s , that could enable the missile to traverse long distances in excess of 10 , 000 km . The same report also asserted Russia ' s willingness to provide India with help in the field of " seeker technology " . The authenticity of the pioneer report is disputed by at least one foreign newspaper , with the counter - claim that the involvement of Russia is probably inflated out of proportion , because if the report about Russian involvement is true , Russia may be suspected of violating the Missile Technology Control Regime . In response to the scepticism , a top DRDO scientist asserted that India has all the equipment and technology needed to develop ICBMs , " but where the warhead should go or what the range should be will have to be a political call . " Confirmation of the programme . In 20 June 2011 , " Indian Defence News " published an article titled " India Serious About 10 , 000 km ICBM " which stated that India is seriously contemplating to enhance the reach of its strategic missiles and that the Ministry of Defense is considering a DRDO proposal to develop intercontinental ballistic missile ( ICBM ) capable of hitting targets 10 , 000 km away . Building an ICBM has international ramifications and the ultimate decision to go ahead with the proposal would be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security ( CCS ) . In April 2012 , after the successful launch of Agni V , Saraswat revealed that India had no plan to cap the Agni programme and there will be more missiles in the series of Agni missile . DRDO Newsletter . Until April 2012 , the existence of an ICBM program was unclear and was never officially acknowledged by the DRDO . However , in the DRDO newsletter of May 2011 , while describing the achievements of a recently promoted scientist , it revealed that he headed a program code named A6 , which will be an ICBM with a range in between 6 , 000 - 10 , 000 km and like some versions of its precursor Agni V , it will be capable of underwater launch with MIRV . The letter read , Recent developments . In May 2012 , reports confirmed the development of another ICBM in the Agni series , a three - stage Agni VI missile . It was purported that the missile will be developed in 2014 or so and will have an even longer range , up to 10 , 000 km . The Agni VI will be sleeker than the Agni - V and capable of carrying at least 10 nuclear warheads , capable of targeting multiple targets at the same time . In January 2013 , DRDO chief V K Saraswat said that after the development of Agni V , DRDO will develop Agni VI , which will have Multiple Independently Targetable Re - entry Vehicle ( MIRV ) capability . He said that the missile design has been completed and DRDO is in the hardware realisation phase . Agni VI , the new multi - target missile under development , will serve as a ‘ force multiplier ’ , Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V . K . Saraswat said on February 9 , 2013 . Agni - VI SLBM . The SLBM version of missile will arm the Arihant class submarine s of the Indian Navy . DRDO revealed in 2012 that it is also in the process of developing another variant of Agni - VI missile . This will be a submarine - launched solid - fuel missile with a maximum range of 6 , 000 kilometres and a payload of one tonne .