17th April 2026

1. IA Flags Off First Blue Water Sailing Expedition ‘Samudra Sahas’ from Mumbai
2. TDB Signs Agreement with Casey Aviation for Boost Electric Jump Take-Off Projects
3. India and Germany Launches Commemorative Logo to Mark 75 Years of Diplomatic Ties
4. Shriram Finance Arm Gets RBI Nod to Start Primary Dealer Business
5. Razorpay Partners OpenAI to Enable Instant Payments in AI-built Apps
6. China Emerged India’s Top Trade Partner in FY26; Deficit Widens to USD 112 Billion
7. Infosys Appoints Tennis Star Carlos Alcaraz as Global Brand Ambassador
8. India’s Sonam Maskar Finishes Fifth in 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup in Granada
9. India’s R. Vaishali Wins FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026, Qualifies for World Championship 2026
10. Siachen Day 2026– April 13
11. AP Government and NRSC Sign MoU to Reduce Lightning Deaths
12. World Hemophilia Day 2026: What is this year’s Theme highlights?
13. India Targets Cocoa Production Boost with Long-Term Strategy for Self-Reliance by 2040
14. ITC Achieves Global Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) 3.0 Certification in Major Agri Milestone
15. Infosys Partners with Carlos Alcaraz to Power AI-Driven Sports Performance Solutions
16. HAL and GE Aerospace Sign Key Deal to Co-Develop Advanced Jet Engines for India
17. Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing Gets Special Economic Zone Nod in Dholera
18. Bank of Baroda Launches Feature Phone Banking Service via JioPhone Devices

National News

TDB Partners Casey Aviation for JTO Project

• What: The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology signed an agreement with Casey Aviation Private Limited to develop a hybrid propulsion-based Boost Electric Jump Take-Off system for enhancing unmanned and light aircraft operations.
• Tell me more:
  • The project is about building a new engine system that helps small aircraft and drones take off quickly, even in very small spaces, using a mix of electric and other power.
  • The purpose is to make aircraft more useful and flexible, especially in difficult areas. This technology will help in faster transport, emergency rescue, medical evacuation, delivery of goods, and surveillance in remote or hard-to-reach places.

India and Germany Strengthen Ties During Berlin Consultations

• What: India and Germany reaffirmed commitment to strengthen bilateral ties during the India-Germany Foreign Office Consultations held in Berlin, focusing on expanding cooperation across multiple sectors and reviewing progress in their Strategic Partnership.
• Tell me more:
  • Both countries will mark 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2026 after celebrating 25 years of Strategic Partnership last year.

Government Notifies First Chip Fab SEZ in India

• What: The government notified India’s first chip fabrication Special Economic Zone (SEZ) by Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing Private Limited at Dholera, Gujarat, with an investment of ₹91,000 crore to boost semiconductor manufacturing.
• Tell me more:
  • The SEZ will support electronic hardware, software, and Information Technology Enabled Services (IT/ITES).
  • The government amended SEZ rules in June 2025 by reducing minimum land requirement from 50 hectares to 10 hectares.
  • The government approved additional semiconductor SEZ proposals –
    • Micron Semiconductor Technology India Private Limited will set up a unit in Sanand, Gujarat with ₹13,000 crore investment.
    • Aequs Group will establish an electronic component manufacturing SEZ in Dharwad, Karnataka.
    • Kaynes Semicon Limited and CG Semi Limited will focus on assembly, testing, and packaging with investments of ₹681 crore and ₹2,150 crore.

State News

Andhra Pradesh Signs MoU to Reduce Lightning Deaths

• Andhra Pradesh government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to reduce deaths from lightning strikes by improving preparedness, risk assessment, and early warning systems.

Banking and Economy

RBI Approves Shriram Subsidiary for Primary Dealer Business

• Shriram Finance Limited announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Shriram Overseas Investments Limited received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to commence Primary Dealer business, subject to compliance with specified conditions.

Razorpay Partners OpenAI for AI Payment Integration

• Razorpay partnered with OpenAI to enable developers to embed payments directly into applications using Codex, allowing instant monetisation of AI-built products through simplified payment integration and reduced setup time.

China Becomes India’s Largest Trading Partner 2025-26

• What: According to the data was released by the Commerce Ministry, China became India’s largest trading partner in 2025-26 with bilateral trade reaching $151.1 billion, while India’s trade deficit with China widened significantly during the same period.
• Tell me more:
  • The United States of America (USA) remained India’s largest trading partner for four years till 2024-25.
  • China remained India’s top trading partner from 2013-14 to 2017-18 and in 2020-21.
  • The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was India’s largest trading partner before China.
  • India recorded negative export growth with countries including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (UK), Singapore, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Australia, France, South Africa, and Malaysia.

ITC Receives Global FSA Silver Benchmark Certification

• What: ITC became the first company in India to receive the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) 3.0 Silver benchmark for wheat and paddy, showing that its farming practices meet global standards.
• Tell me more:
  • The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform (an international organisation) checked and approved ITC’s farming system using global standards.
  • ITC supported farmers through its Climate Smart Agriculture Programme and ITCMAARS platform.

Reliance Jio and Bank of Baroda Launch Feature Phone Banking

• What: Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited partnered with Bank of Baroda to launch ‘bob World Lite’, a mobile banking application for feature phone users on JioPhone Prima 4G to expand digital banking access.
• Tell me more:
  • The app enables basic phone users to access digital banking services like payments and transfers, supports financial inclusion, and expands banking access across rural and semi-urban areas using simple technology.

Defence News

Samudra Sahas Expedition Flagged Off from Mumbai Coast

• What: Lieutenant General N. S. Sarna flagged off the Samudra Sahas Sailing Expedition from Marve, Mumbai, marking the first blue water sailing venture by the Regiment of Artillery during its bicentenary celebrations.
• Tell me more:
  • The team will complete the voyage in four legs: Mumbai to Vijaydurg, Vijaydurg to Goa, Goa to Vijaydurg, and Vijaydurg to Mumbai.

Agriculture and Rural Development

Cocoa Roadmap Targets Self Sufficiency by 2040

• What: Grant Thornton Bharat and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) released a knowledge paper outlining a roadmap to make India self-sufficient and globally competitive in cocoa production by 2040-41.
• Tell me more:
  • The roadmap recommends establishing a National Mission on Cocoa along with research, innovation, policy support, trade reforms, and digital transformation.
  • The first phase during 2026-28 will establish a Centre of Excellence and develop 250 hectares of polyclonal seed gardens.
  • The second phase during 2028-30 will build capacity by training one lakh farmers, supplying 25 million seedlings, and creating a digital farmer registry.
  • The third phase during 2030-35 will expand cocoa cultivation to one lakh hectares and aim to meet 50% domestic demand through local production.
  • The final phase during 2035-40 will achieve self-sufficiency, promote India as a global cocoa processing hub, and implement full digital traceability.
  • Domestic cocoa demand will grow at 5.5% and reach 4.67 lakh tonnes by 2040, while India currently meets less than 20% demand and imports exceed $866 million annually.
  • The roadmap aims to reduce import dependency and strengthen farmer incomes and value chains.

Important Days

Siachen Day 2026 – April 13

• What: The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force commemorated 42 years of Operation Meghdoot on April 13.
• Tell me more:
  • Operation Meghdoot was a 1984 Indian military operation that secured control over the Siachen Glacier by capturing key passes and preventing Pakistani occupation through coordinated Army and Air Force action.

World Hemophilia Day 2026 – April 17

• Theme – Diagnosis: First step to care

Sports

Sonam Maskar Finishes Fifth in Granada World Cup

• What: Sonam Maskar finished fifth in the women’s 10m air rifle final at the World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) in Granada, Spain as India ended its campaign with one gold medal.
• Tell me more:
  • Wang Zifei of China secured gold, Jeanette Hegg Duestad of Norway won silver, and Han Jiayu of China secured bronze.

R Vaishali Wins FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament

• What: Grandmaster R. Vaishali won the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 in Cyprus.
• Tell me more:
  • After winning this tournament, R. Vaishali has qualified to play a final match against the current world champion, Ju Wenjun, for the World Championship title later this year.
  • R. Vaishali defeated Kateryna Lagno of Russia in the final round and scored 8.5 points out of 14.

Appointments

Infosys Appoints Carlos Alcaraz as Brand Ambassador

• What: Infosys announced a multi-year partnership with Carlos Alcaraz, appointing him as global brand ambassador to strengthen its focus on integrating sports excellence with technology-driven innovation.
• Tell me more:
  • Infosys will use its AI-first platform Infosys Topaz, which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyse data and support match preparation and in-game strategy for Carlos Alcaraz and his coaching team.

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