The Chinese yuan is on track for its best annual performance in 5 years as growing optimism about China’s assets and economy overshadowed concerns related to trade tensions with the United States. The yuan traded outside China rose about 4% against the US dollar during 2025, supported by the authorities’ interventions by setting daily reference exchange rates, and by a rising wave in Chinese stocks that attracted investment flows, in addition to the decline in the US dollar. Analysts remain largely optimistic about the currency’s performance in 2026, as Goldman Sachs raised its expectations for it last month. The rise of the yuan The rise of the yuan this year represents a clear shift compared to what happened during the first round of the US-China trade war that broke out in 2018, as the currency then fell by more than 13% from its peak in March 2018 to its bottom in September 2019, driven by speculation that China will be forced to devalue the growth after yuan support. Read more: Hedge funds are stepping up their bets on the rise of the Chinese yuan against the dollar. “The Chinese yuan has room to rise further from current levels, and technical forecasts suggest that the US dollar exchange rate against the yuan will move to 7 yuan per US dollar during 2026,” said Wei Khun Zhong, chief Asia-Pacific market strategist at BNY in Hong Kong. “Maintaining a stable and strong yuan plays an important role in improving market and investor confidence.” Despite the overall gains this year, the yuan’s path has not been without setbacks. The currency witnessed widespread selling during the chaos unleashed by US President Donald Trump over tariffs last April, then remained weak in the middle of this year under pressure from the slowing economy. The currency only started to recover again last August, with global risk sentiment improving. The weakness of the US dollar has benefited the yuan, as the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index has fallen about 7% this year amid fears of political uncertainty in the United States and a worsening budget deficit. China’s approach to dealing with its current trade war with Washington differs from the one it adopted during the first Trump administration. In the 2018-2019 period, options were limited, with the Chinese economy then largely dependent on the American consumer. Today, China has expanded its export base to countries of the global south, establishing its superiority in essential supply chains such as rare earths. Optimistic expectations for the Chinese currency. Most analysts expect the yuan to continue its gains in the coming months. Lin Lee, head of global markets research for Asia at MUFG Bank in Hong Kong, expects interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve to weaken the US dollar, which will support the yuan and other Asian currencies next year. She said that the Chinese currency could end up at 6.95 yuan against the US dollar next year. Also read: The decline in the attractiveness of the dollar in China paves the way for the rise of the yuan. Goldman Sachs also raised its expectations for the yuan circulating in China last month, based on optimism in the performance of exports and the current account surplus. He pointed out that the currency could reach 6.95 within three months and 6.85 within a year. The Australian and New Zealand Banking Group believes that selling the US dollar against the yuan will be one of the best trading bets for the year 2026. Expect Chinese exporters to convert more of their dollar earnings into the yuan ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, in addition to converting US dollar balances deposited with commercial banks. The Chinese currency is “significantly undervalued” There are voices calling on the Chinese authorities to allow a faster rate of appreciation for the yuan. Former US Treasury officials Brad Setser and Mark Sobel wrote an article last month saying it was time to encourage a significant appreciation of the yuan against the US dollar on a trade-weighted basis, given that the currency is “significantly undervalued.” They pointed out that the yuan is currently about 18% below its fair value. The Chinese central bank is moving to stop the yuan’s decline against the dollar. More details here Stephen Jin, CEO of Eurizon SLJ Capital, believes that pressure on the yuan to rise over the next year will increase, and that allowing additional gains will be inevitable. He wrote in a note last month: “The pressure will be one-way and increasing.” One of the most prominent arguments of those who are optimistic about the rise of the yuan is based on the decline in value compared to the currencies of China’s trading partners. The real effective exchange rate index – which excludes the impact of inflation – shows that it is close to its lowest levels since 2011, according to data from the Bank for International Settlements. Allowing too rapid currency gains carries risks, however, as a too high yuan could undermine Chinese exports and thus growth, and encourage large inflows of hot money that could create asset bubbles and threaten financial stability. The People’s Bank of China’s position on the yuan The People’s Bank of China apparently wants to try to slow down the rate of the yuan’s appreciation. Today, the bank set the daily reference exchange rate at a level weaker than average analyst expectations, in a move similar to another it took last week for the first time since last July. Also read: Falling dollar pushes China to weaken yuan’s strength after months of support. Despite this, many in the market expect the yuan’s continued rise. “If the trade agreement talks go smoothly, the yuan could strengthen to 7 yuan against the US dollar by the end of the year, and could continue to rise to a range between 6.5 and 6.8 over the next year,” said Qi Lu, global markets strategist at BNP Paribas Asset Management in Hong Kong. “If more international investors are convinced that China is on the road to recovery, the money that left three years ago will come back.”

Samsung Electronics has unveiled its first three-fold smartphones, in a display of its engineering capabilities in foldable phones, despite the fact that this broader category has yet to become widespread among traditional consumers. The Galaxy Z TriFold is part of a limited category of foldable phones that have two hinges, allowing them to transform into larger tablet-sized devices. Samsung aims to launch the phone initially in South Korea on December 12 at a price of 3.59 million won (about $2,450), and plans to launch it in the United States, although it has not yet disclosed the price. Trifold will also be available in other markets including China, Taiwan, Singapore and the UAE. Samsung unveiled the phone at an event held in Seoul on Tuesday, months before Apple was expected to announce its first foldable iPhone. The Apple product is scheduled to launch next fall, and will have a book-like design, similar to the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 phone that Samsung launched in July. Shares of smartphone vendors such as LG Innotek and AAC Technologies Holdings rose after the announcement, while Samsung itself rose as much as 2.9% on Tuesday. “Samsung” leads the market for foldable phones. Liz Lee, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, said: “Very limited quantities of the first tri-fold model from (Samsung) will be released, but the goal is not in size. With expectations of a fundamental shift in competition mechanisms in 2026, especially with (Apple’s) expected entry into the foldable phone category, (Samsung offers a multi-fold device to improve an experimental model). technological leadership.” Also read: Apple accounts for a quarter of the phone market in China thanks to the iPhone 17. Foldable phones still represent just 2.5% of the phone market as a whole, despite having the highest quarterly shipments during the three months ending in September, according to Counterpoint. Samsung increased its market share to 64% of all foldable phones, and achieved one of the largest increases in shipments ever during this period. Huawei Technologies was the first to enter the triple phone category with the Mate XT in 2024, then the updated Mate XTS version this year, at a price close to the Galaxy Z Tri Fold. Huawei will be a strong competitor in China, the largest market for foldable phones in the world so far, despite its lack of Samsung’s great compatibility with Android applications. The Samsung phone also has a different hinge design, as it folds inward from two sides, while the Mate models take the shape of the letter “Z” when folded. “Trifold” offers a unique experience when folded. The external “Trifold” screen has dimensions similar to a regular smartphone. When unfolded, it offers a tablet-like experience with a 10-inch wide screen, which is larger than the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s screen. In tablet-like mode, a different app can run independently on each of the phone’s screens, the equivalent of three separate phones in their usual rectangular shape with a 6.5-inch display side by side. Also read: “Huawei” after 5 years of US sanctions.. How did it resist? Using Samsung DEX software, tailored for this type of device, you can run a desktop-like experience directly on the large internal display (other Samsung phones need to be connected to an external display to enable DEX mode). In DEX mode, the TriFold can operate up to four different workspaces, each capable of running five applications at the same time. To address concerns about the possibility of breakage, Samsung explained that it has improved the phone’s hinges, aluminum frame and display technology to increase long-term durability. The company also intends to offer a one-time discount of 50% on the cost of screen repair if the need arises later. The thickness of the “Tri Fold” at its thinnest point is 3.9 millimeters (0.15 inches), and the phone contains a battery with a capacity of 5600 mAh, which represents the largest capacity that “Samsung” has ever used in a foldable phone. The battery allows continuous video playback for up to 17 hours with the tri-fold screen fully extended. However, the company did not explain in the specifications it disclosed to Bloomberg the duration of the battery’s operation in the case of normal use. The new Samsung phone is powered by artificial intelligence. In a short hands-on test session, using the Trifold was easy, and if a user starts to fold it incorrectly, for example from the right side before the left, the phone quickly warns them via an on-screen notification and vibrations. Also read: “Samsung” achieves the highest quarterly profits in 3 years with the support of artificial intelligence. The company provided “Trifold” with a set of features of the “Galaxy AI” artificial intelligence programs, which include the generative image editor “Generative Edit”, the photography assistant “Photo Assist”, the writing assistant “Writing Assist” and many others. Buyers will receive a trial subscription to Google AI Pro, a subsidiary of Alphabet, for a period of six months. Initial sales of Samsung’s latest foldable phones have outperformed previous models, but they remain small compared to lower-priced traditional models like the Galaxy S25 Ultra. If the company keeps the same phone launch schedule as it has followed in recent years, it is likely to launch the “Galaxy S26” category early next year.

Lucknow, December 2 (IANS). Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken an important step to strengthen the health system. For this, an amount of Rs 9.80 crore has been sanctioned for installing modern medical equipment in 14 government hospitals of the state. The special focus of this initiative of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is on those districts where the availability of modern health facilities and diagnostic equipment is less. Patients from rural and backward areas will get special benefit from this initiative so that they can get cheap, modern and fast treatment in their own district. Moreover, this effort will also reduce the pressure of patients on super specialty hospitals of big cities. CM Yogi sanctioned an amount of Rs 9.8 crore, especially for purchase of modern equipment and modernization of health services in those 14 districts of the state, where modern health facilities are lacking. Out of the approved amount, Rs 2.70 crore has been allocated to Ramsagar Mishra Joint Hospital, Sadhamau BKT, Rs 1.52 crore to District Women’s Hospital, Balrampur, Rs 1.56 crore to District Hospital Rae Bareli, Rs 1.16 crore to District Joint Hospital, Mahara lak 28 crore. awarded to District Joint Hospital, Baghpat, Rs 3.35 lakh to Dewan Shatrughan Singh Joint Hospital, Hamirpur. Lakh, Rs 8.68 lakh was sanctioned for Women’s Hospital, Haraiya, Basti and Rs 38.96 lakh was sanctioned for Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Joint District Hospital, Etawah. These funds will especially be spent on the development of health-related equipment, modern testing machines and essential health facilities. The biggest benefits of this investment will be visible at the local level. The installation of modern diagnostic equipment in district hospitals will reduce the time of examination and patients will be able to get cheap and quick treatment. CT scan, not only that, it will also play an important role in developing health facilities as per WHO standards. This step is part of the comprehensive health policy of UP-2047 developed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, under which the government aims to develop state-of-the-art health facilities in every district of UP. In the districts of the state where there is lack of modern health facilities, the district hospitals there should be equipped with modern technological equipment and diagnostic facilities so that affordable and modern health facilities can be provided to the rural and poor people at the local level. –IANS DKP/

Lucknow, December 2 (IANS). The story of economic empowerment of women in Uttar Pradesh is reaching new heights under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Lakhpati Didi program not only economically empowered the women in every village but also gave a new identity to their self-confidence and leadership abilities. Till November, 18.56 lakh women of the state have become millionaires. This means that they continuously earn an annual income of more than Rs 1 lakh. 35.94 lakh women have been identified in Uttar Pradesh, of which the income details of 29.68 lakh women have been recorded in the Digital Livelihood Register. The central government has set a target to raise the income of 2 crore self-help group members across the country to over one lakh by the year 2026-27, in which the target of Uttar Pradesh has been set at 28.92 lakh. According to the state government, the target of 18.56 lakh has been achieved by November 2025 and the remaining 10.36 lakh will also be completed within the stipulated time frame. Women from 98.49 lakh rural families in the state are associated with a total of 8,96,618 self-help groups. These groups work to cooperate and connect each other with the market through 62,958 village organizations. Women earn sustainable livelihoods through agriculture-based activities, animal husbandry, handicrafts, food processing and service-based small businesses. The government envisages that the income of each member should not be less than Rs 1 lakh for three consecutive years during four quarterly and crop cycles. This is true economic empowerment. This program is not only a medium to raise income but also becomes a symbol of social change. Lakhpati Didis now emerge as financially capable, decision makers of the family and transformative forces of the village. –IANS DKP/ Share this story Tags

Farrukhabad, December 2 (IANS). After successfully completing 31 weeks of rigorous training, 565 Agniveer and recruits joined the Fatehgarh Rajput Regiment on Tuesday. The Grand Extinction Parade was held at Cariappa Ground, Fatehgarh which was inspected by Brigadier Michael D’Souza, Yudh Seva Medal Commandant Fatehgarh Rajput Regiment Centre. The parade was led by Agniveer recruit Dushyant Pratap Singh. The entire regimental campus resounded with the enthusiasm and zeal of the firefighters in the parade. Their parents and family members were also present and felt proud to see their children in military uniform. The Agniveers have learned the high values ​​of duty, loyalty, honor and sacrifice during the past 31 weeks of rigorous training and are now ready to serve in various battalions of the Rajput Regiment across the country. A total of 427 Agniveer and 138 Territorial Army recruits completed training in this group. Agniveer Yash Chauhan of Batch 6 was awarded the Best Agniveer Medal for ‘Overall Best in Merit’. The Commandant of Rajput Regiment Center congratulated all the Agniveers and recruits and inspired them to contribute towards nation building. He said it was a matter of pride to be a part of the Rajput family, and now was the time to put what he had learned during training to the service of the nation. He also said that it is important to keep learning new technologies to deal with the changing ways of war and security. Agniveer Mahavir Singh Rathore said that this is the happiest day of his life and he will proceed with the decision of victory or martyrdom. Agniveer Pramod Singh said that he is very happy to join the Indian Army. He gave credit to his parents and family and said that young people who work hard can definitely achieve their dreams. The family members of Agniveer were also very happy. Veena Singh said that she is very happy that her son got the opportunity to serve the country. He acknowledged the hard work and support of the entire family, especially his brother-in-law. Another family member and BJP state member said that his son also joined Agniveer today and it is a matter of great pride for him. He believes that the youth must move forward to serve the country. –IANS PIM/ABM Share this story Tags

Chennai, December 2 (IANS). Tamil Nadu has once again given global recognition to its handicraft and agricultural heritage and has given Geographical Indication (GI) tag to five more products. The newly registered products include Voraiyur cotton sarees, Kavindappadi nattu shakkarai (jaggery powder), Namakkal Makkal Pathirangal (soapstone cookware), traditional ‘Thuyamalli’ rice and wooden toys. With this, the total number of GI marked products from Tamil Nadu has increased to 74. These applications were filed by intellectual property rights (IPR) lawyer P. Sanjay Gandhi on behalf of various associations. The famous Voraiyur cotton sarees from the historic weaving center of Mannamedu (Tiruchi) are produced on the banks of the Kaveri River. It uses cotton threads and colors sourced from Coimbatore and Rajapalayam. Light, power and beautiful edge design are its special identity. Kavindappadi Nattu Shakkarai of Erode district was recognized for his uniqueness. There is a large area of ​​sugarcane production here, which is irrigated by the Lower Bhawani Project Canal. Prepared by slow boiling sugarcane juice without any chemicals, this jaggery powder is widely used in households and traditional sweets. Meaning “pure jasmine”, Thuyamalli rice, which takes 135–140 days to mature, is known for its aroma, long grain and disease resistance. This GI application has been submitted by Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board in association with NABARD Madurai Agro Business Incubation Forum. Kalachatti, a traditional soapstone craft from Namakkal district, has received the GI tag after a long process. After the first application was withdrawn in 2019, a new application was submitted by Namakkal Stone Products Manufacturers and MSME Technology Development Center IPFC in 2022, which has now been successful. Ambasamudram Choppu Goods, a more than 200-year-old wooden toy craft in Tirunelveli district, is also among those receiving the GI honour. Manjal Miniature kitchen sets, tables, chairs and other toys made from woods like Kadamba, Teak and Rosewood are important to nurture children’s imagination and preserve cultural heritage. With this new GI certification, Tamil Nadu has once again proved that it has one of the richest identities of arts, crafts and traditional agricultural products in the country. –IANS DSC Share this story Tags

In the meeting of ruling and opposition leaders with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, it was decided that the House will discuss the 150th anniversary of the composition of the national anthem Vande Mataram and electoral reforms next week. In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, it was decided that there will be a discussion on Vande Mataram in the House next Monday (December 8, 2025), which will be initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After this it was agreed to discuss electoral reforms on 9 and 10 December. Prime Minister Modi will start the conversation with Speaker Om Birla. After this agreement in the meeting of ruling and opposition leaders, the ongoing deadlock in the Lok Sabha is expected to end. After the BAC meeting, Congress Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha Kodikunnil Suresh told reporters, “After the BAC meeting, it was decided to discuss Vande Mataram and electoral reforms. There will be a discussion on Vande Mataram on Monday, which will be initiated by the Prime Minister.” After this, there will be discussion on Tuesday and Wednesday about electoral reforms, and the time can be extended if necessary.” When will electoral reforms be discussed in the House? Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that in the all-party meeting chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, it was decided to discuss the 150th anniversary of the national anthem Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha on Monday, December 8 at 12 noon. After this, there will be a discussion on electoral reforms on Tuesday 9 December at 12:00. There was a deadlock in the Lok Sabha on Monday and Tuesday on the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Members of opposition parties have created a stir in the House over this issue. Share this story Tags

A video of Virat Kohli talking to BCCI selector Pragyan Ojha at the airport while traveling from Ranchi to Raipur for the second ODI between India and South Africa is going viral. This video is going viral because there is talk of Virat and Rohit Sharma playing in Vijay Hazare Trophy. Both the veteran players want to play until the World Cup in 2027, but many reports suggest that they have not yet been given any assurance of being part of the squad. Rohit Sharma meets his best friend Team India selector Pragyan Ojha. Virat Kohli and selector Pragyan Ojha are seen chatting, while head coach Gautam Gambhir sits four-five seats away from them. In another video, Gambhir and Pragyan are seen sitting with Gambhir, but Kohli is sitting far away from them. This video comes amid reports that head coach Gautam Gambhir did not speak to Virat Kohli in the nets ahead of the Ranchi ODI, leading to speculation of a rift in the team. There was also news that chief selector Ajit Agarkar wants Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the video, Pragyan can be seen listening to Kohli. Serious discussion between Virat Kohli and selector Pragyan Ojha. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are in great form. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have put on two consecutive century partnerships in ODIs. Before Ranchi, he made a century partnership in the third ODI in Australia. Rohit scored a century and Virat remained unbeaten by scoring a half-century. In the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi, they also made a century partnership for the second wicket, in which Virat Kohli scored 135 runs and Rohit 57 runs. With the help of this innings, Team India, who batted first, made a huge score of 349 runs. India lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first ODI by 17 runs. The second ODI will be played in Raipur on Wednesday, December 3. The match will start at 13:30, and the draw will take place at 13:00. Share this story Tags

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limited All rights reserved. Isabelle Bousquette, The Wall Street Journal 4 min read Dec 2, 2025, 17:53 IST Estée Lauder first built an AI chatbot on its Jo Malone site in October. Since then, online shoppers who used the tool made purchases at nearly double the rate of those who didn’t, the company said. Summary A new AI bot at the beauty company’s Jo Malone unit seems to have bridged a digital divide: getting people to buy perfume without even smelling it. The AI ​​chatbot Estée Lauder Companies built for its Jo Malone London fragrance brand has a uniquely difficult task. In contrast to the current barrage of agent stylists and buyers tasked with choosing outfits and looking for deals, the “AI Scent Advisor” should turn everyday language into the intangible and totally non-digital experience of smell. The result is a chatbot with a fluttering, poetic tone. “Where do we want to travel today?” It asked during one session. “The freshness of an orchard? The warmth of a blooming flower garden? The windswept allure of the coastline?” The goal is to convince online shoppers to spend north of $100 on a fragrance suggested by a chatbot conversation filled with ethereal adjectives and descriptions of the English countryside. View Full Image Brian Franz, Estée Lauder’s Chief Technology, Data & Analytics Officer “If I would have said to people a year ago, ‘Can we use AI to help you with fragrance?’ they’d be like, ‘Well, you can’t smell your iPad,'” says Brian Franz, chief technology, data and analytics officer at Estée Lauder, which includes brands like MAC and Bobbi Brown. To make this happen, the firm turned to Google Cloud, which sent a handful of AI engineers armed with Gemini models to spend a day sniffing floral musk, then managed to crack the code. Since a soft launch began on Jo Malone in October, online shoppers who used the tool made purchases at nearly double the rate of those who didn’t, helping Estée Lauder achieve that rare unicorn in generative AI: a tool that actually drives top-line growth. Estée Lauder’s share price has fallen in recent years, hurt in part by a pullback in spending by Chinese consumers, although it has risen more than 25% since Chief Executive Stéphane de La Faverie took the helm in January. The company has also been slow to embrace online retail, a mistake de La Faverie hopes to correct with a new digital push. In April, he appointed Franz to the company’s first-ever position as chief technology, data and analytics officer. Franz came from State Street where he most recently served as executive vice president, global chief information officer and head of enterprise resilience. In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said restructuring efforts, which include consolidating service providers and pursuing a net reduction in workforce, cost $1.14 billion. De La Faverie said he is betting heavily on the fragrance category, which has become increasingly popular with younger consumers, and the digital opportunities there. In October, Estée Lauder opened a Fragrance Atelier in Paris, with the aim of using advanced technology to help develop new fragrances. So how did Estée Lauder train its chatbot to talk fragrance? It started with an existing wealth of scent data. In perfumery today, a given scent can be based on any combination of seven primary odor categories (among them woody, amber, and “chypre”), and Estée Lauder also uses five newer categories (green, aromatic, musky, leathery, and gourmand) that correspond to real ingredients in the recipe. Then there is the less technical but equally relevant sensory experience that each perfume evokes: a pear orchard in autumn or a bucket of blackberries on a hot summer day. Google engineers ran the model with both, but then had to tackle the issue of capturing the right tone. Google’s Gemini models power a range of customer-facing experiences from Home Depot to Wendy’s. But choosing a signature flavor is more personal than ordering a Baconator. It was important that the Jo Malone bot had a voice that evoked real, in-store associates, the beauty company said. To get there, Google Cloud recorded and analyzed the way live fragrance stylists talk to customers, including a methodology known as TED, or “tell, explain, describe.” “When you can’t smell something, you have to be really evocative with language,” said Jose Gomes, vice president, retail and consumer goods at Google Cloud. That’s how the AI ​​advisor became so ethereal and philosophical, he added. The right associates love phrases like “journey” and “engagement.” Estée Lauder said it is still considering bringing a similar AI experience to its other fragrance brands, which include Kilian Paris, Frédéric Malle, Tom Ford Beauty and Le Labo. “If you put the consumer at the heart of this and you bring the technology, we’re really able to make a big difference in how the ELC companies perform,” Franz said. Write to Isabelle Bousquette at [email protected] Get all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. more topics #artificial intelligence Read next story

Aadhaar–UAN seeding: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has announced the discontinuation of the extension of the timeline for mandatory Aadhaar seeding with UAN for submission of EKR to October 31, as per circular dated December 1, 2025. The mandatory requirement for submission of the Electronic Challan-cum. only applicable to members whose Aadhaar number has been seeded and verified with their Universal Account Number (UAN). For those who are not aware, a UAN is a 12-digit unique identification number issued to salaried individuals to manage their provident fund. This ID enables simplified online transfer of PF accounts across employers during post changes of subscribers. The latest extension, which was granted vide MoL&E communication dated October 28, allowed certain categories an extra time till October 31, 2025. These categories include the following: I. North East Region (NER): States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. II. Specific industries: Beedi manufacturing, building and construction and plantation industries (including tea, coffee, cardamom, pepper, jute, rubber, Cinchona, cashew nuts). Multiple extensions in the past EPFO ​​has admitted that multiple extensions have been given in the past for Aadhaar-UAN seeding. “Over the last four years, sufficient opportunities have been provided to complete Aadhaar-UAN seeding and verification. Current reliance is marginal and is continuously declining. In view of the above, and to avoid further reliance on repetitive extensions, it has been decided not to grant any further extension,” the circular said. Accordingly, it is clarified that the timeline for Aadhaar seeding and verification with UAN will not be extended beyond October 31. The circular also instructed all zonal offices and regional offices to immediately start intensive sensitization and awareness campaigns targeting the concerned employers. Through the circular, EPFO ​​has clearly informed the employers that ECR filing for the month of November 2025 onwards will be allowed only for the members whose Aadhaar is properly seeded and verified with UAN. And it would be done without exception. For all personal finance updates, visit here