MAM
Shruti Varma to head Tata Docomo business at Contract
MUMBAI: Shruti Varma joins Contract Advertising as senior vice president and will be heading the Tata Docomo account for the agency.
A highly experienced FMCG advertising professional, Varma joins Contract from Havas Worldwide where she spent close to eight years and was heading the Reckitt Benckiser account for India and recently, the south east Asian market besides many successful campaigns and product launches.
Varma will be reporting to Contract Delhi senior VP & GM Shivaji Dasgupta who while announcing Varma’s appointment said, “Contract has always been a melting pot of great talent and Shruti is a very welcome addition to the pool. She has the right blend of strategic acumen and operational mastery to be a highly successful business leader for us. I am certain she will have a long and fruitful innings with Contract.”
Besides Reckitt Benckiser, Varma has also worked on Dabur, during her stint at Bates for over three years. A Delhi University alumnus, she started her career in research with IMRB, before choosing advertising as her career.
“I have worked on leader brands and I have worked on challenger brands. And I think I have contributed in meaningful ways in turning some challenger brands into leader brands. And that’s what’s exciting about our business. I hope that together with the amazing talent at Contract, I would help do the same for TATA Docomo. The challenges will be many. But then, what’s Advertising without a little adrenaline rush,” said Varma on her appointment at Contract.
During her tenure at Havas, Shruti has worked on key brands such as Dettol, Veet, Harpic, Mortien, Lizol, Airwick, Vanish, Moov, Strepsils amongst others.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI: Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
