cont in ued ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁without ▁ach ieving ▁success , ▁Project ▁V ali ant , ▁like ▁Project ▁Dev il , ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁later ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Pr ith vi ▁miss ile ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁Development ▁ ▁Both ▁projects ▁were ▁over seen ▁by ▁the ▁Def ense ▁Research ▁& ▁Development ▁Labor atory ▁( DR DL ) ▁of ▁India , ▁which ▁had ▁begun ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁with ▁a ▁special ization ▁in ▁[ anti - t ank ▁miss ile ]] s ▁but ▁expanded ▁in ▁subsequent ▁years . ▁Project ▁V ali ant ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁inter cont inental ▁ball istic ▁miss ile ▁util izing ▁ 3 0 - ton ▁engines ▁to ▁achieve ▁a ▁range ▁various ly ▁reported ▁as ▁ ▁and ▁. ▁The ▁secret ▁project ▁was ▁initially ▁fund ed ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁thousand ▁ru pe es ▁after ▁the ▁presentation ▁of ▁a ▁feas ibility ▁report ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁but ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁DR DL ▁received ▁ 1 6 0 ▁million ▁ru pe es ▁to ▁fund ▁both ▁projects . ▁The ▁money ▁came ▁with ▁a ▁ve il ▁of ▁secre cy ; ▁the ▁Union ▁Cab inet ▁had ▁public ly ▁decl ined ▁the ▁fund ing ▁request , ▁but ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Ind ira ▁Gand hi ▁had ▁granted ▁it ▁secret ly ▁through ▁her ▁dis cret ion ary ▁powers . ▁In ▁turn , ▁DR DL ▁took ▁p ains ▁to ▁dis gu ise ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁funds ▁so ▁that