8 MAY2024IN FOCUSIN FOCUSUK-based tech professional Priya Guha has been appointed as the new chair of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) UK Council at the High Commission of India in London. She expressed hope for the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which aims to enhance bilateral trade worth around GBP 38.1 billion annually.British Indian investor, Priya Guha invests in women-led innovation as Venture Partner of Merian Ventures. She emphasized research, innovation, and cultural ties for stronger bilateral partnerships, placing FTA and building foundations laid by her predecessor, Baroness Usha Prashar. Baroness Usha is the first Indian-origin judicial commissioner of the UK and was honored at the event at India House in London for promoting trade and cultural ties between India and the UK, including an FTA memorandum on non-tariff barriers that fed into the policy framework. Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami praised the House of Lords peer as the first Indian-origin judicial commissioner of the UK, highlighting the chair as "part of the very fabric" of the UK, during the event.The newly appointed chair, Priya mentioned "One role of business is to make a concrete contribution to economic growth on both sides and clearly, we have that in the India-UK relationship. But the role of business is so much more - to open our eyes to other things, to build cultural ties, to strengthen relationships, to deepen a very strong bond and take to the new stage of its potential." According to the provisional payroll data released by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), 14.41 lakh net members were added in March 2024, while 7.47 lakh new members during the same period. In March, 56.83 percent of new members were aged 18-25, indicating that the majority of individuals joining the organized workforce are youth, primarily first-time job seekers.The EPFO also witnessed a significant increase in members, with 2 lakh females among 7.47 lakh joining in March, indicating a shift towards a more diverse workforce, with over 6.1 crore members joining over the past 6.5 years. Rise in the sectors including manufacturing, marketing services, computer usage, and restaurants, along with 43 percent of net membership coming from the expert services industry. The EPFO hereby witnessed a significant increase in net members, with 11.80 lakh returning after leaving earlier. This was due to members switching jobs and choosing long-term financial well-being.As the data is provisional and updated every month, it shows an addition of 15.48 lakh net members in February, with 7.78 lakh new members enrolled. The data shows a continuous increase from 61.12 lakh in 2018-19 to 78.58 lakh in 2019-20. but a dip in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. NEW FICCI UK COUNCIL CHAIR PRIYA GUHA OPTIMISTIC ABOUTINDIA-UK FTA2 LAKH WOMEN JOINED EPFO IN MARCH 2024 LEADING DIVERSITY
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