Mounted on a mobile launcher, the indigenously built single-stage missile was test fired at 0955 hours from the launch complex no. 3 of the ITR, defence sources said.

The missile has a range of 150 to 250 km, which can be enhanced with a reduced payload.

Sunday's flight trial of Prithvi was carried out as "part of the country's air defence exercise", according to a defence source.

Some more trials of the missile, as a target missile, may also be conducted in the coming weeks, the source said.

The 8.65 metre high and one metre thick missile has already been inducted into the Army and two specially trained missile groups had been raised to handle the sophisticated missile.

With a launch weight of 4.6 tonne which included payload of one tonne, Prithvi can use both solid as well as liquid propellant.

The missile takes 300 seconds to reach the target located at a distance of 150 km.

As a safety measure, the Balasore district administration had temporarily evacuated 600 families (2786 persons) from villages located within a 2 km radius of the ITR launch pad to two large shelters on Sunday morning.