Banking Awareness of 11, 12, 13 and 14 January 2026

Topic: Indian Economy/Financial Market

1. India’s retail inflation increased to around 1.33% in December, acoording to the Ministry of Statistics.

• This is a three-month high in headline retail inflation.
• Inflation has now stayed below the RBI’s 2–6% target range for four consecutive months.
• The rise was mainly due to easing food deflation. Higher prices were seen in personal care items.
• Vegetable prices increased during the month. Prices of meat, fish and eggs also increased.
• Headline CPI inflation increased by about 62 basis points from November.
• Food inflation increased by 120 basis points on a month-on-month basis.
• Despite the increase, food inflation remained negative in December and stood at around –2.7% year-on-year.
• This was the seventh continuous month of declining food prices.
• Food deflation was weaker than the –3.9% recorded in November.
• December inflation data is the final reading under the 2012 CPI base year.
• From January, CPI data will be released using the new 2024 base year.
• Core inflation excluding food and fuel has remained contained.
• Adjusted for gold prices, core inflation moderated to around 2.6% in October.

Topic: RBI

2. Skydo has received final approval from the Reserve Bank of India.

• The approval allows it to operate as a cross-border payment aggregator.
• Skydo runs a cross-border payments platform. The platform primarily serves exporters.
• The company is headquartered in Bengaluru. The RBI licence strengthens its regulatory standing.
• Both small and medium businesses and large enterprise clients will also gain confidence.
• Global banks may view the platform as more credible and international payment partners will also benefit.
• RBI has brought cross-border payments under the payment aggregator framework.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

3. Italy has honoured Shrinivas Dempo with a prestigious civilian award.

• The name of the award is the Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy).
• It is one of highest civilian distinctions of Italy. Shrinivas Dempo is a Goa-based industrialist.
• The honour recognises his support for Italian citizens in India and acknowledges his contribution to India–Italy cooperation.
• The award highlights stronger people-to-people connections and reflects institutional collaboration between the two countries.
• The award was presented by Italy’s Consul General in Mumbai Walter Ferrara at aformal ceremony held in Goa.
• The Order of the Star of Italy honours outstanding individuals. It is awarded for advancing friendly international relations.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

4. A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has been signed between India and Oman.

• The agreement has been designed to deepen economic integration between the two countries.
• A unified framework for trade in goods and services, investment, professional mobility and regulatory cooperation has been created under the CEPA.
• This deal comes at a time when trade between the two countries is steadily increasing.
• Trade between the two countries increased to US$10.61 billion in the financial year 2024-25, up from US$8.94 billion in the financial year 2023-24.
• Trade in services has also grown, with India's exports rising from US$397 million in 2020 to US$617 million in 2023.
• This progress has provided a strong foundation for a deeper trade agreement.
• A major advantage for India under CEPA is that it will get 100% duty-free market access on 98.08% of tariff lines in Oman, covering 99.38% of India's exports by value.
• India has also offered market access, which includes tariff liberalization on 77.79% of tariff lines for 94.81% of imports from Oman.
• To protect domestic interests, India has maintained an exclusion list for sensitive sectors such as dairy, grains, spices, petroleum products, rubber, textiles, leather, certain chemicals, and several agricultural products.

Topic: Agriculture

5. Fish production in India increased from 95 Lakh Tonnes in 2013-14 to 198 Lakh Tonnes in 2024-25.

• This increase shows a growth of more than 106% during the period.
• The fisheries and aquaculture sector play an important role in the national economy.
• It provides livelihood to around three crore fishers and fish farmers.
• India is currently the world’s second-largest producer of fish.
• It contributes nearly eight per cent to global fish production.
• The government has introduced several major initiatives to modernise and expand the fisheries sector.
• Since 2014–15, financial approvals of about ₹32,723 crore have been provided for the sector.
• Key schemes include Blue Revolution, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana.
• India’s seafood exports achieved their highest-ever value in 2024–25.
• Export earnings reached approximately ₹62,408 crore during 2024-25.

Topic: Taxation

6. India’s net direct tax collections registered 8.82% growth till mid-January.

• According to the Income Tax Department, net collections crossed ₹18.38 lakh crore by 11 January.
• Corporate tax receipts remained stable during the period to roughly ₹8.63 lakh crore.
• Individual taxpayers made strong contributions to overall collections.
• Revenue from Securities Transaction Tax reflected active capital markets.
• Tax refunds fell by nearly 17 per cent compared to last year. This decline supported higher net tax collections.
• Gross direct tax receipts grew by around 4.14 per cent.
• For 2025–26, the government expects faster growth in direct tax revenue.
• Direct tax collections are projected to rise by 12.7 per cent.
• The government has fixed an STT target of ₹78,000 crore for FY 2025–26.

Topic: Miscellaneous

7. India’s first deep tech startup policy unveiled by Tamil Nadu Government.

• India’s first dedicated Deep Tech Startup Policy has been unveiled by the Tamil Nadu government to strengthen its innovation-led growth agenda.
• The policy was released by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at UmagineTN 2026.
• The policy has been titled the Tamil Nadu Deep Tech Startup Policy 2025–2026 (TNDTSP).
• The initiative aims to position Tamil Nadu as the leading deep tech hub in the country.
• Advanced innovation, industrial growth and MSME empowerment form the core objectives of the policy.
• The iTNT Hub has been designated as the nodal implementing agency for policy execution.
• A target has been set to support 100 deep tech start-ups and mobilise ₹100 crore in investments.
• The policy seeks to enable technology transfer from academic and R&D institutions for commercial use.
• Training in deep tech skills will be provided to over 10,000 students and professionals.
• To be eligible for financial assistance under this policy, the company, start-up, or entity must have a registered office in Tamil Nadu, or an operational presence in Tamil Nadu such as a back-office, R&D facility, or any active business operation.
• The entity must also employ at least 25% of its total workforce (excluding contract employees) in Tamil Nadu.

Topic: Indian Economy/Financial Market

8. Based on the advanced estimates released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, India’s real GDP growth is projected at 7.4% for FY 2025–26.

• This is higher from the 6.5% growth rate in FY 2024-25. As per the estimates, the main driver of growth will be the services sector.
• As per projections, financial services, real estate, professional services and public administration will grow by 9.9% at constant prices in FY 2025–26.
• Trade, hotels, transport, communication and services related to broadcasting will expand by 7.5%.
• Growth in the secondary sector will be steady. Manufacturing and construction will grow at 7%.
• It is estimated that the agriculture sector will record a growth rate of 3.1%.
• Real Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) will grow by 7 per cent during FY 2025–26.
• Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) is a key indicator of investment activity.
• It is estimated to grow by 7.8% at constant prices during FY 2025–26.