Banking Innovation
SBI’s Project Finance Expansion
State Bank of India (SBI) is establishing a Center of Excellence for Project Financing to support emerging sectors like AI, e-commerce, and fintech, expanding beyond traditional infrastructure focus. This CoE will build specialized expertise in evaluating and structuring financing for technology-driven ventures.
Digital Payments
Super.money Enters UPI Top 5
Flipkart’s Super.money rose to 5th position among UPI apps, overtaking CRED to 6th place as per NPCI data. This shift reflects the competitive dynamics of India’s digital payments ecosystem and the entry of e-commerce platforms into financial services.
Payment Ecosystem
UPI Transaction Volume February 2025
India recorded 16.11 billion UPI transactions in February 2025, representing a 5.2% decline from the previous month. Despite the dip, UPI continues to dominate India’s digital payment landscape with billions of monthly transactions across retail and merchant payments.
Market Leadership
PhonePe’s UPI Dominance
PhonePe led the UPI market in February 2025 with 7,656.40 million transactions (47.54% volume share) and βΉ11,18,963.81 crore transaction value (50.94% value share). This dominance reflects PhonePe’s extensive merchant network and user engagement strategies.
Economic Forecasts
India’s Path to 3rd Largest Economy
Morgan Stanley projects India will become the world’s third-largest economy by 2028, surpassing Germany through initiatives like Make in India, Digital India, infrastructure development, and economic reforms. This milestone would position India behind only the US and China in global GDP rankings.
Health & Fitness
First Fit India Carnival
The first-ever Fit India Carnival, a three-day fitness event, was held at Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium, New Delhi. Aligning with the Fit India Movement, the carnival promotes physical fitness, active lifestyles, and sports participation across age groups.
International Organizations
UN80 Initiative for Efficiency
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the UN80 Initiative to streamline UN operations for higher efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The reform initiative responds to resource constraints and modern challenges, focusing on process optimization, budgeting, and organizational responsiveness.
Law Enforcement
Lachit Barphukan Police Academy
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, Assam, with CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Minister Sarbananda Sonowal attending. The academy strengthens police training infrastructure in Northeast India.
Para Sports
World Para Athletics Grand Prix Success
India won 134 medals (45 gold, 40 silver, 49 bronze) at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025 held at JLN Stadium, New Delhi. This impressive performance showcases India’s growing strength in para athletics and commitment to inclusive sports development.
Public Health
National Vaccination Day
National Vaccination Day is observed on March 16, highlighting India’s Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) programme and immunization efforts. The day commemorates India’s journey toward polio eradication and emphasizes the importance of universal immunization for preventable diseases.