Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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On the decade-long celebrations of Make in India, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, launched Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2025 in New Delhi. LEADS 2025 benchmarks logistics performance across States and Union Territories (UTs), supporting a globally competitive and future-ready logistics ecosystem. India is emerging as a global manufacturing hub under Make in India, with growth in pharmaceuticals and engineering goods. Efficient logistics reduces costs and strengthens manufacturing competitiveness. LEADS 2025 introduces corridor performance assessment and API-enabled evaluation of road speeds.

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Around 10 Indian marine and saline fish and shrimp varieties are soon to receive the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification is an international non-profit organisation that sets science-based standards for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. Its certification recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices to promote a sustainable seafood market. The certification is based on independent third-party assessments focusing on stock health, environmental impact, and effective management. It is voluntary, open to all fisheries regardless of location, size, or fishing gear. Astamudi clam (Paphia malabarica) was India’s first MSC-certified fishery.

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On October 7, 2025, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Foreign Currency Settlement System (FCSS) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) IFSC. FCSS allows real-time or near real-time settlement of foreign currency transactions within GIFT IFSC, replacing delays of 36–48 hours via traditional correspondent banking. GIFT City is India’s first special economic zone (SEZ) for global finance, insurance, fintech, and capital markets, spread over 886 acres between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. FCSS reduces settlement time, improves liquidity management, lowers settlement risk, and enhances operational efficiency.

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Microfinance loan delinquencies rose sharply in 2024-25 according to Sa-Dhan, the microfinance self-regulatory body. Loans overdue by more than thirty days increased to six point two percent from two point one percent in 2023-24. Loans overdue by more than ninety days rose to four point eight percent from one point six percent in 2023-24. Bihar had the highest outstanding loans of fifty-seven thousand seven hundred twelve crore rupees and the worst delinquency with seven point two percent overdue by more than thirty days and four point six percent overdue by more than ninety days. Rural borrowers faced the highest repayment challenges with six point four percent loans overdue by more than thirty days and three point seven percent overdue by more than ninety days. Semi-urban and urban borrowers had slightly lower delinquency rates.

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently praised India’s liberalised Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme for boosting participation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in international trade. The AEO programme operates under the World Customs Organisation (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards to secure and facilitate global trade. WCO adopted the SAFE Framework in June 2005 to strengthen international supply chain security. AEO is one of the three pillars of the SAFE Framework and promotes customs–trade partnership. It was launched by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) as a pilot in 2011 and revised in 2016. It is implemented by the Directorate of International Customs under CBIC.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the 2024-25 census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets (FLA) on October 29, 2025. The census covered Indian entities’ cross-border assets and liabilities. Out of 45,702 entities, 41,517 reported Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) in their March 2025 balance sheets. The United States and Singapore together contributed over one-third of India’s total FDI. Other major contributors were Mauritius, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Total FDI stood at ₹68.76 lakh crore, higher than ₹61.88 lakh crore in 2023–24. The share of FDI was 20 percent from the United States, 14.3 percent from Singapore, 13.3 percent from Mauritius, 11.2 percent from the United Kingdom, and 9 percent from the Netherlands.

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The Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) has recently opened its new Bengaluru Centre. IIP is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It was established in 1966 with its headquarters in Mumbai. Its main goal is to boost exports through innovative package design and improved packaging standards. It provides testing, consultancy, R&D, and training in packaging. Training is given to artisans, weavers, exporters, and stakeholders for modern and aesthetic packaging.

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India’s unemployment rate declined to 5.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, down from 5.4 per cent in the first quarter. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) reported this based on monthly labour force and unemployment data. Rural unemployment rate stood at 4.4 per cent during July to September 2025. Urban unemployment rate was higher at 6.9 per cent in the same period. Female participation in the labour force rose to 33.7 per cent from 33.4 per cent. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in Current Weekly Status (CWS) increased marginally to 55.1 per cent from 55 per cent. The data reflects gradual improvement in employment and workforce engagement in India.

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In November 2025, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Guwahati Gateway Terminal and Jetty. It is India’s first modern river ferry terminal. The terminal is built to improve and make river transport on the Brahmaputra River more efficient. It integrates multimodal connectivity to enhance overall transportation infrastructure in Assam. The project is part of developing a world-class riverfront in Guwahati. The initiative aims to boost tourism and economic activity in the region. The terminal is a landmark development in India’s river transport sector. It may serve as a model for other states with major rivers.

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Recently, Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) received a licence to explore and mine a tungsten block in Andhra Pradesh. Tungsten is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. It is a naturally occurring transition metal found in minerals like wolframite and scheelite, not as a pure metal. It has the highest melting point of all metals at 3410 °C and the lowest vapor pressure at that temperature. It also has the highest tensile strength above 1650 °C and remains solid at room temperature.