Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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Microsoft has launched a new AI assistant called Dragon Copilot for healthcare. It is part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare and helps doctors with clinical documentation. It transcribes clinical notes, drafts paperwork, and searches medical sources. It integrates with Dragon Medical One (DMO) and DAX for speech recognition. It allows voice-to-text transcription, AI-generated notes, and medical searches. It automates tasks like referral letters, visit summaries, and clinical evidence documentation.

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Tata Motors launched India’s first hydrogen-powered heavy-duty truck trials to support the net-zero emissions goal by 2070. 16 hydrogen-powered trucks will be tested for up to 24 months on key freight routes across Mumbai, Pune, Delhi-NCR, Surat, Vadodara, Jamshedpur, and Kalinganagar. The trucks use Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2-ICE) and Fuel Cell (H2-FCEV) technologies. Funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Aims to assess commercial viability and develop infrastructure for hydrogen-powered freight transport.

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In March 2025, scientists in France discovered a massive, naturally occurring white hydrogen deposit in the Moselle region, estimated to be worth $92 trillion and containing 46 million tons of hydrogen, potentially revolutionizing the clean energy sector. White hydrogen is naturally occurring, formed by geochemical reactions in hard rock, similar to oil and gas. It is small, light, and escapes cap rocks easily, making extraction a challenge. The industry is nascent, with only a few innovators exploring its potential. This discovery could have a significant impact on the global energy transition, potentially helping countries reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and transition to cleaner energy sources.

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Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) agents are protesting against new insurance rules affecting their work. LIC, the largest public sector life insurance company in India, is headquartered in Mumbai. It plays a key role in India’s financial market and is also the biggest institutional investor. It was established in 1956 through the Life Insurance of India Act. LIC nationalized the insurance sector by merging 245 private insurers. Its motto, “Yogakshemam Vahamyaham,” means “Your welfare is our responsibility.” LIC operates through 8 zonal offices in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kolkata, Bhopal, and Patna.

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Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) launched Samarthya: National Competition on Corporate Rescue Strategies 2025 at Manesar, Haryana. It provides a platform for students to develop turnaround strategies for financially distressed businesses. It focuses on real-world corporate rescue, strategic thinking, and expert engagement. Participants analyze financial statements, develop rescue strategies, and present solutions to a panel of judges. It offers networking opportunities with insolvency professionals, legal experts, and business leaders. It provides industry exposure, expert feedback, and recognition for innovative solutions.

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The Finance Ministry launched BAANKNET, a revamped e-auction portal, to streamline the auction of banks’ assets. It replaces e-BKray (launched in February 2019) and enhances transparency in disposing of non-performing assets (NPAs). BAANKNET integrates automated KYC, secure payment gateways, and verified property titles. 12 public sector banks and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) use BAANKNET for property auctions.

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As per the Indian Tea Board, India became the world’s second-largest tea exporter in 2024, surpassing Sri Lanka. It exported a record 255 million kg of tea, a 10% increase from 231.69 million kg in 2023. Kenya remains the top tea exporter globally. India exports tea to over 25 countries, with major markets including the UAE, Iraq, Iran, Russia, the USA, and the UK. Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri teas are among the finest in the world. Black tea dominates exports at 96%. The Tea Board of India is promoting production, branding, and welfare of tea-growing families.

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The Lanka India Business Association (LIBA) was officially launched in Sri Lanka to boost economic collaboration with India. It aims to strengthen trade, investment, and business networking between both nations. India is expected to become the world’s second-largest economy by 2075, making this initiative crucial. LIBA will promote partnerships across industries like technology, trade, finance, and education. It seeks to encourage bilateral trade, connect entrepreneurs, and support startups and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). LIBA aims to leverage Sri Lanka’s strategic location as a trade hub and provide facilitation services for investors.

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funds the Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem (SMILE) Program. It aims to improve India’s logistics infrastructure, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. It supports the National Logistics Policy and PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. Focus areas include multimodal logistics, warehousing standardization, and digitalization in trade logistics. It enhances supply chain resilience, especially for India’s manufacturing sector. The program promotes gender inclusion through gender audits at land ports. SMILE aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat by improving domestic manufacturing and global trade integration.

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Tamil Nadu recorded the highest real economic growth rate in India for 2024–25 at 9.69%, the best in the State’s last 10 years. Real growth excludes inflation and is measured at constant prices (base year 2011–12), with Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) rising from ₹15.71 lakh crore in 2023–24 to ₹17.23 lakh crore in 2024–25. The nominal growth rate, which includes inflation, is 14.02%, also the highest among States. The State’s growth aligns with projections by the Tamil Nadu Economic Survey and Madras School of Economics (MSE), exceeding both estimates. Growth was led by the tertiary (services) sector at 12.7% and secondary (industry) at 9%, while the primary sector (agriculture) was low at 0.15%. Real estate grew by 13.6%, communication services by 13%, and trade-hotel services by 11.7%, all under the tertiary sector. In the secondary sector, manufacturing grew by 8% and construction by 10.6%. The primary sector underperformed with crops at -5.93% and livestock at 3.84%.