MAM
DD gets board clearance to initiate steps for legal action against TAM
NEW DELHI: TAM Media, the sole television ratings agency in India, is now under attack from the pubcaster. The Prasar Bharati board Monday formally gave approval to Doordarshan to finalise the parameters of legal action against TAM for generally overlooking the ratings of the state-owned network which has the largest reach in the country.
Prasar Bharati chief executive officer Jawahar Sircar told indiantelevision.com that the board took cognizance of the grievances of Doordarshan in this regard.
The board was apprised of the discussions held so far with the legal experts. The board would approach the Information and Broadcasting Ministry after getting the legal opinion.
Doordarshan has the largest reach terrestrially through local cable operators and around 20 per cent of the market through various DTH platforms.
The action by Prasar Bharati comes close on the heels of the case filed by NDTV in a New York court against The Nielsen Co, a global research and information firm, and Kantar Media Research, the owners of TAM Media. NDTV has sought $810 million as compensation for the loss in revenues it has suffered over the years and $580 million in penalty for negligence by Nielsen and Kantar officials.
Doordarshan with a reach of 92 per cent in the country through 1415 transmitters has a terrestrial reach to around 25 million viewers, apart from those getting the feed through the DTH and other platforms. In fact, Sircar claimed that DD Direct Plus is reaching out to another ten million viewers, thus taking the direct reach to 35 million.
Also read:
Agencies feel need to speed up BARC
NDTV lawsuit may trigger Govt action on BARC
NDTV sues TAM, Nielsen for manipulation of data
NDTV lawsuit: Govt may investigate TAM
The ball is in the IBF court: AAAI prez Arvind Sharma
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â 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.
