ISRO signs deal with consortium of six companies to build satellite privately

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in December 2016 signed an agreement with a consortium of six companies to deliver India's first industry-built satellite by late 2017.
●    The agreement was signed between M Annadurai, Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) and the consortium lead Alpha Design Technologies P Ltd. 
●    ISAC assembles India's satellites for communication, remote sensing and navigation. It is for the first time that ISRO outsourced the construction of entire satellite.
●    It includes assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of two spare navigation satellites in a row in around 18 months.
●    The consortium is led by Alpha Design Technologies P Ltd, a defence manufacturing contractor.
●    The others in the consortium are Newtech Solutions, Aidin Technologies and DCX Cables of Bengaluru, Vinyas Technologies of Mysuru and Avantel Systems of Hyderabad.
●    The development work will start around January 2017 and the first satellite will be out in around nine months.