India has signed a USD 200 million loan agreement for the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation project with which international financial institution?

Introduction / Context:
This question relates to India's economic development and cooperation with international financial institutions. It focuses on a specific project known as the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation project and asks you to identify which institution extended a loan of USD 200 million to support it. Such questions combine current affairs and development economics.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The project name is Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation.
• The loan amount is USD 200 million.
• India has signed a formal loan agreement with an external institution.
• The options include two multilateral institutions and one Indian commercial bank.

Concept / Approach:
The core concept is to recognise which international organisation has a track record of funding state-level rural transformation projects in India. The World Bank often supports such projects that aim at improving agricultural productivity, market access and rural infrastructure. While the Asian Development Bank and New Development Bank also finance projects in India, this particular project in Assam is specifically associated with the World Bank. The State Bank of India is a domestic commercial bank and not an international development institution.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question mentions a large foreign currency loan of USD 200 million. Step 2: Recall that multilateral development banks such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank commonly provide such loans. Step 3: Associate the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation project with news reports describing World Bank support. Step 4: Eliminate State Bank of India, which does provide loans but is not typically mentioned in this way for externally aided projects. Step 5: Distinguish between New Development Bank and World Bank, and recall that official releases link this specific project to the World Bank.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick check in government press releases or World Bank project documents shows that the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project is indeed financed through a World Bank loan of about USD 200 million. The project is designed to enhance agricultural productivity, improve value chains and support smallholder farmers in Assam.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
State Bank of India: This is India's largest commercial bank, but the agreement mentioned in the question is about an international development loan, not a domestic loan product.
New Development Bank: This is associated with the BRICS countries and finances various infrastructure projects, but it is not the institution linked to the specific Assam project mentioned here.
Asian Development Bank: ADB finances many projects in transport, energy and urban sectors in India, but the loan in question was not from ADB for this particular agribusiness project.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to confuse different multilateral institutions or to assume that any large loan must come from ADB or NDB, especially in the Asian context. Another pitfall is not paying attention to the exact combination of project name, state and amount, which together help to identify the correct institution.

Final Answer:
The correct institution providing the USD 200 million loan for the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation project is the World Bank.