The missile, whose name means fire, has a range of more than 3,000 km, and was launched from Wheeler island off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa, the official, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters.

The test was successful, he added.

Analysts say the successful test pushed India into a new phase in its long-term nuclear defence strategy.

"This means that India has entered an altogether different league of nations, a new club," Rahul Bedi, India correspondent of Jane's Defence Weekly, told Reuters.

"We can now reach large parts of northern China making our deterrence capacity stronger. Also, when a country is able to develop a missile, which can travel 3,500 km, it is not difficult to make something that can go 5,000 km.

"Very few nations have that capacity."

Relations between India and China have taken off in recent years, powered largely by their booming economies.

But the two countries, who went to war in 1962, still have border disputes and analysts say India's long-term defence strategies focus on its nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan and China.

"I think India's missile development and relations with China have been deliberately de-linked. Building muscles during peace time is a healthy exercise," Bedi said.