Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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Tunnel No. 8 (T-8) is set to become India’s longest railway tunnel at 14.57 km, overtaking Tunnel No. 50 (T-50), which is 12.77 km long on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link. It is part of the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Broad Gauge Rail Link Project in Uttarakhand. T-8 is a twin tunnel located on the Devprayag–Janasu stretch of this 125-km rail line. The Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Broad Gauge Rail Link Project is being implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made it mandatory for Regulated Entities (REs) to report details of their Digital Lending Apps (DLAs) through the Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) portal. Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) is a modern data management platform introduced by the RBI to handle large-scale data processing, analysis, and sharing. It acts as a central data warehouse, using advanced tools for data mining, text analysis, and visual insights across financial and economic sectors. It improves the efficiency of regulatory reporting and reduces workload for banks and regulated firms. It helps RBI monitor the financial system better and react faster to potential risks.

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The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, launched the first cluster of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds in India. The focus is on the cement sector, a major carbon emitter, supporting India’s net-zero goal by reducing emissions in hard-to-abate industries like cement, steel, and chemicals. Five testbeds have been set up with leading institutions and companies. This initiative advances India’s climate goals by promoting cutting-edge CCU technologies in key sectors.

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The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) recently raised the minimum support price (MSP) of jute from ₹5,335 to ₹5,650 per quintal for the 2025–26 crop year to stop distress sales by farmers. The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) comes under the administrative control of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. It was set up in 1971 to act as a price support agency for raw jute without any limit. MSP is fixed every year by the Government of India based on recommendations from the Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP). JCI helps protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen and gives price stability. It started small but has now expanded its network across seven jute-growing states — West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.

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Recently, Algeria became the 9th member of the New Development Bank (NDB), expanding opportunities for emerging markets. NDB was established in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa under the BRICS group. Its headquarters is in Shanghai, China. It is a multilateral development bank created to fund infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs). So far, it has approved investment projects worth 40 billion US dollars, mainly in clean energy and related sectors. Members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and now Algeria.

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India attracted a record USD 81.04 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the fiscal year 2024–25, a 14% rise from the previous year. This growth was supported by liberalized policies and strong inflows in services and manufacturing. The services sector received the highest FDI equity at 19%, followed by computer software and hardware at 16%, and trading at 8%. FDI in services rose by 40.77% to USD 9.35 billion from USD 6.64 billion. Maharashtra received the highest share of FDI at 39%, followed by Karnataka at 13% and Delhi at 12%. From 2014 to 2025, India attracted USD 748.78 billion in FDI, 143% more than the USD 308.38 billion received from 2003 to 2014.

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Recently, India’s first Artificial Intelligence-focused Special Economic Zone (AI SEZ) was announced in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh. It will be developed by RackBank Datacenters Private Limited with an investment of ₹1,000 crore. The AI SEZ will span six acres and include a 1.5 lakh square foot facility with high-end servers for large-scale AI operations. It will house four high-density data centres with a total capacity of 80 megawatts to support national digital infrastructure. For the first time, India will not just consume but also host and deliver Artificial Intelligence services globally. It will offer jobs to youth from remote areas like Kanker, Sukma, Bilaspur, and Dantewada in roles such as IT engineers and cybersecurity officers.

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Recently, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry inaugurated the new unified headquarters of the Quality Council of India (QCI) at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi. The Quality Council of India (QCI) is a non-profit autonomous organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. It was set up in 1997 by the Government of India along with Indian industry associations like the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Mr. Ratan Tata was the first Chairman of QCI. QCI functions under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It serves as the national accreditation body of India.

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Recently, the Delhi Power Minister inaugurated a 20-Megawatt (MW) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Kilokari in South Delhi. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are large-scale batteries that store energy from sources like solar and wind for later use. They help make green energy more dependable by storing power and feeding extra electricity back to the main grid. This Delhi BESS is South Asia’s largest utility-scale system and India’s first commercially approved energy storage system. It has a total storage capacity of 40 Megawatt-hours (MWh). It uses Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) technology, which is safe, stable, and works well in Delhi’s climate.

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Flipkart has become the first major Indian e-commerce company to receive a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This marks the first time RBI has allowed a large e-commerce platform to operate its own NBFC. Unlike traditional NBFCs, Flipkart can lend money directly but cannot accept public deposits. Earlier, most e-commerce platforms offered loans through partnerships with banks or NBFCs. With this licence, Flipkart can now lend independently, which offers better control and higher profits. This development highlights RBI’s evolving regulatory stance on digital commerce and fintech integration.