Sriharikota: In yet another milestone in space technology, India yesterday launched five foreign satellites on-board an indigenous rocket, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask Indian scientists to develop a SAARC satellite which can be dedicated as a ‘gift’ to the neighbours.

After a perfect lift-off from the First Launch Pad in Satish Dhawan Space Centre here at 9.52 am, which was witnessed by Modi, Indian Space Research Organisation’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C23 placed all five satellites into their intended orbits, one after the other between 17 and 19 minutes of the launch, in textbook precision.