Banking Awareness of 13, 14 and 15 April 2025

Topic: Indian Economy/Financial Market

1. Wholesale inflation in India fell to a four-month low of 2.05% in March.

• This is a drop from 2.38% recorded in February. This is much higher than 0.26 per cent in March 2024. 
• Food inflation also slowed. It came down to 1.57% from 3.38% in the previous month (February). 
• The decline was mainly due to a sharp 15.88% drop in vegetable prices. 
• Cereal inflation eased as well. It fell to 5.49% from 6.77% in February. 
• Prices of manufactured products, which have the largest weight in the WPI index, increased by 3.07% year-on-year. 
• Fuel and power prices increased slightly by 0.20%. 
• This rise reversed the decline seen in the previous month. 
• The overall easing in inflation reflects better vegetable production. 
• It also reflects a reduction in supply-side pressures.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

2. India recorded its highest annual power capacity addition in FY25. 

• 34,000 megawatts of cumulative power capacity has been added by India during FY25.
• This marks the largest yearly increase in nearly a decade. 
• Renewable energy led the growth. It contributed 29,520 MW during FY25. 
• By March 2025-end, India’s total installed renewable capacity reached 220.10 GW. 
• Solar energy recorded the biggest increase. It added 23.83 GW in FY25. 
• This brought the total installed solar capacity to 105.65 GW. 
• Wind power also grew steadily. It added 4.15 GW. 
• The total installed wind capacity now stands at 50.04 GW. 
• Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra accounted for 70% of all new solar installations. 
• Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra contributed 97.4% of the new wind capacity. 
• Bioenergy capacity reached 11.58 GW. India has 169.40 GW of renewable energy projects under construction. 
• Out of the projects underway, 65.29 GW involve emerging solutions such as hybrid systems, RTC power, and renewable-thermal combinations. 
• In FY26, solar additions are expected to range between 25 and 30 GW. 
• Wind capacity is projected to rise by 5.5 to 6 GW in FY26. 

Topic: Corporates/Companies

3. Swiggy has launched a new platform called Pyng. 

• It uses AI to help users connect with a variety of professionals. 
• The platform offers services from experts in wellness, astrology, event planning, and skill training. 
• This launch marks Swiggy’s entry into the professional services space. 
• Earlier this year, Pyng released its seller app. 
• Nandan Reddy, Co-founder and Head of Innovation at Swiggy, spoke about the growing need for expert help in both personal and professional areas. 
• Users can currently access Pyng in Bengaluru.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

4. The International Youth Conclave hosted by Sikkim to celebrate 50 years of statehood from 12 to 14 April.

• On 12 April, the International Youth Conference in Sikkim began at Yanggang helipad in Namchi district.
• Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang inaugurated the three-day event.
• The event is being organised by Yangang Tourism Development Committee in collaboration with Sikkim Tourism Department
• Under the central theme ‘Celebrating 50 Years of Statehood of Sikkim,’ the conclave will deliberate in depth on tourism development, opportunities, and challenges in the state.
• The conclave will highlight Sikkim's commitment towards sustainable tourism and cultural preservation and showcase its remarkable journey over the last five decades.
• Young leaders, tourism experts, and global delegates will come together at this landmark event, which will include participants from across the country as well as Bhutan, Iran, and Nepal.
• They will explore the future of tourism development and its role in shaping the growth of the region.

Topic: Miscellaneous

5. The government has launched a dedicated ‘Global Tariff and Trade Helpdesk’.

• It aims to support stakeholders in dealing with new and emerging trade challenges.
• The Helpdesk will address a variety of issues. These include import-export difficulties, sudden increases in imports, and dumping practices.
• It will also help with supply chain disruptions, logistics concerns, financial matters, and regulatory compliance.
• The Helpdesk will gather trade-related concerns from different Ministries, Departments, and State Governments.
• It will work with these bodies to find effective and timely solutions.
• Exporters and importers can report their issues on the DGFT website.
• The Commerce Department and DGFT are closely monitoring global trade developments.
• They are paying special attention to tariff changes and export-import challenges.

Topic: Banking/Financial/Govt Schemes

6. The government is promoting the plastic industry with the grant-funded Plastic Park Scheme.

• The scheme for setting up plastic parks is being implemented by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals under the umbrella scheme of the New Scheme of Petrochemicals.
• It will help in setting up need-based plastic parks with modern infrastructure and common facilities through a cluster approach, integrating the domestic downstream plastic processing industry.
• A plastic park is an industrial area specifically designed for plastic-related businesses and industries.
• It aims to consolidate and synergise the capabilities of the plastic processing industry, encourage investment, production, and exports, as well as generate employment.
• These parks also focus on environmentally sustainable development through waste management and recycling initiatives.
• Under this scheme, the government provides grant funding up to 50% of the project cost within the limit of Rs 40 crore per project.
• According to the World Bank's 2022 estimates, India ranked 12th in the global export of plastic.
• This has increased rapidly from just 8.2 million US dollars in 2014, and is estimated to reach 27 million US dollars by the year 2022.
• The scheme has the following objectives:
  • Increase the competitiveness, polymer absorption capacity and value addition
  • Increase investments
  • Achieve environmentally sustainable growth
  • Adopt a cluster development approach

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. ISA’s Country Partnership Framework signed by Mauritius, making it the first African country to do so.

• A Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) has been signed by Mauritius, making it the first African country to do so.
• It is the fourth country globally to sign the CPF after Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Cuba.
• The objective of this partnership is to provide a structured approach for collaboration between ISA and Mauritius on solar energy initiatives in line with the country's national priorities.
• A strategic initiative, the CPF has been developed by ISA to facilitate long- and medium-term cooperation with its member countries.
• This agreement will accelerate the clean energy transition through joint solar power projects.
• Under this partnership, a detailed Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) will be developed tailored to the needs and opportunities of Mauritius.
• Launched in 2015 by India and France, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation
• It aims to promote solar energy as a sustainable solution to energy access and climate change, with a goal of mobilizing US$1 trillion in solar investment by 2030.

Topic: Indian Economy/Financial Market

8. India’s pharmaceutical and medical device sector attracted 11,888 crore rupees in FDI from April to December 2024.

• Thirteen FDI proposals for brownfield projects were approved in 2024-25. These proposals were worth 7,246.40 crore rupees.
• The total FDI for the sector in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, reached 19,134.4 crore rupees.
• These figures were compiled by the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme has been crucial in boosting domestic manufacturing.
• It has helped attract investments, reduce dependency on imports, and increase exports.
• The PLI scheme surpassed its original investment target of 3,938.57 crore rupees.
• By December 2024, the realized investment under the scheme was 4,253.92 crore rupees.
• Under the PLI scheme for Bulk Drugs, 48 projects were selected.
• As of December 2024, 34 of these projects had been launched for 25 bulk drugs.

Read Banking Awareness PDF - 13 14 and 15 April 2025