Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade data shows that Singapore was the top source of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) equity inflows into India during April–December FY26, contributing 17.6 billion (37%). The United States (16%) and Mauritius (10%) were the next major contributors, followed by Japan and the UAE. India received a total of 47.87 billion in FDI equity inflows during this period. The top sectors attracting FDI were Computer Software & Hardware (22%) and Services (Financial, Banking, R&D) at 18%. Among states, Maharashtra received the highest inflows, followed by Karnataka.

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Atal Pension Yojana crossed 9 crore enrolments (April 2026), with a record 1.35 crore added in Financial Year (FY) 2025–26. It was launched in 2015. It is administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority. It is a voluntary, contributory pension scheme targeting unorganized sector workers. It is eligible for Indian citizens aged 18–40 years (excluding income tax payers). It ensures guaranteed pension of ₹1,000–₹5,000 after 60 years of age.

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The Reserve Bank of India launched Mission SAKSHAM for strengthening the Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) sector. It is a nationwide capacity-building initiative focused on improving managerial and operational efficiency. The mission aims to enhance compliance culture, governance, and institutional resilience in UCBs. It will include training programmes (offline and e-learning) covering around 1.4 crore participants.

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The Securities and Exchange Board of India has operationalised the Past Risk and Return Verification Agency (PaRRVA). PaRRVA aims to enhance transparency and investor protection in financial markets. CARE Ratings Limited has been recognised as the PaRRVA agency. National Stock Exchange of India Limited will act as the PaRRVA Data Centre (PDC). The system allows entities like investment advisers and research analysts to display verified performance data. It helps investors access authentic risk-return information for better decision-making. The pilot phase began in December 2025, and full operations start from May 4, 2026.

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The Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance launched the Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool (BMIP) with a coverage capacity of USD 1.5 billion. The initiative includes a sovereign guarantee of ₹12,980 crore to ensure uninterrupted maritime insurance amid global geopolitical tensions, especially in the Middle East. BMIP covers maritime risks such as Hull and Machinery, Cargo, Protection and Indemnity (P&I), and War Risk for Indian vessels and cargo operations linked to India. The pool aims to strengthen India’s maritime risk protection framework and enhance sovereign control over maritime trade and insurance.

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RAINMUMBAI is India’s first SEBI-approved exchange-traded weather derivatives contract launched by National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange. The contract is designed to help businesses hedge losses caused by unpredictable weather and monsoon variability. Unlike traditional insurance, weather derivatives are settled using actual weather data rather than physical damage assessments, enabling faster payouts. The product was developed in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Bombay using Mumbai rainfall data. Rainfall data will be provided by the India Meteorological Department from Santacruz and Colaba stations.

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The Government of India has revised the base year of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from 2011–12 to 2022–23. The revised WPI series and new Producer Price Indices (PPIs) will be released by the Office of Economic Adviser under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. New indices include Output Producer Price Index (OPPI), Input Producer Price Index (IPPI), and Service Producer Price Index (Service PPI). The transition from WPI to PPI aligns India’s statistical framework with international standards recommended by the International Monetary Fund. Both WPI and PPI will be released simultaneously for five years before WPI is phased out.

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Meesho has partnered with Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) to launch Project Shikhar, an initiative aimed at helping MSMEs and digital businesses become publicly listed companies. The initiative will support high-performing e-commerce sellers in getting listed on the BSE SME platform and gaining access to growth capital. Project Shikhar was launched through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Meesho and BSE. The programme aims to create a step-by-step roadmap for businesses to transition from informal enterprises to investor-ready public companies.

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The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority has introduced StAR NPS, a new digital onboarding platform for the National Pension System (NPS). The platform has been developed by BSE Technologies Private Limited. It enables fully digital NPS account opening and contribution processing through Points of Presence (PoPs). The platform aims to simplify subscriber onboarding, reduce paperwork, and improve digital access to retirement savings.

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According to recent report, India slipped to the 7th position globally in stock market valuation, overtaken by South Korea. India’s current stock market capitalization stands at around 4.9 trillion. South Korea and Taiwan have market capitalizations of over 5 trillion, moving ahead of India. Over the last two years, India has fallen three places as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea surpassed it. Reasons cited for the decline include: continuous foreign investor selling since September 2024, muted corporate earnings and relatively slow progress in AI-driven technology sectors. currently, United States has the world’s largest stock market capitalization.