India test‑fired a new Agni‑V with MIRV warheads and followed it within 24 hours with a successful hypersonic scramjet test, in what HT’s Executive Editor Shishir Gupta calls a game‑changing boost to India’s nuclear deterrent. The upgrades aim to beat missile defences, outclass Pakistan’s China‑backed Ababeel and send a sharp message on Operation Sindoor’s anniversary.