Concept:A consortium is a temporary association of independent firms formed to handle a project too large for any single member.
Explanation:When two or more companies combine their resources and expertise for a specific large project, they form a consortium.
Each company remains independent but works jointly to achieve a common objective.
This arrangement is often used for projects that one company alone cannot execute due to cost, size, or technical demands.
It is different from a merger or amalgamation, where companies lose their separate identities, and from a cartel, which mainly controls prices or markets.
Answer:C. a consortium