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Havas India companies are a Great Place To Work Certified, second year in a row
Mumbai: All companies under Havas India (creative, media and health), part of Paris-headquartered Havas, are now Great Place To Work Certified in India from December 2023 to December 2024. The certificate is also applicable to Havas India’s newly acquired digital agency, PivotRoots. This is a testament to Havas India’s enhancing culture as the network has received this certification for the second consecutive year.
Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. In India, the Great Place To Work Institute partners with more than 1400 organisations annually across over 22 industries to help them build High-Trust, High-Performance Cultures designed to deliver sustained business results. The Institute’s research shows that great workplaces are characterized by great leadership, consistent employee experience, and sustainable financial performance. These organizations can deliver a consistent experience to all their employees irrespective of their role, gender, tenure, or level. Their leaders believe in the vision of creating and sustaining a great place to work for all and role models for all leaders.
As the country’s fastest-growing advertising conglomerate, Havas India has undergone an unparalleled transformation over the last five years. The network grew from 3 to 18 companies and 200 to 2000 employees through global launches, joint ventures, acquisitions and strategic tie-ups. But despite this massive growth in scale and size, the network is deeply invested in its biggest asset – its people.
As per the Great Place to Work Trust Index Model, Havas India scored high on the following parameters: Credibility of management, Respect for people, Fairness at the workplace, Pride, Camaraderie between people, Equity, Competence and integrity.
Havas India CHRO Vandana Tilwani said, “Being Great Place To Work Certified™ is a very significant step for us in understanding how our employees perceive the culture we have built over the years at Havas India. I am immensely proud that our efforts at building a workplace where each person at Havas India feels valued has borne fruit. This Certification for the second time in a row comes as an added source of encouragement not just for our past efforts but also for our future endeavours. I look forward to a year where we can strengthen the foundations we have laid and be consistently recognized as a workplace that is equitable and growth-oriented for all involved.”
In an industry as dynamic as advertising, where people movement is rampant, Havas India has over the years taken concrete steps to ensure talent retention and development across the various stages of one’s professional journey, resulting in a refreshing cultural transformation. The holistic and customised initiatives of Havas India including Havas BOLT, Havas SPARK, EmpowHers, Women Who Inspire committee, Flex Your Lexi, and Bounce Back program, ensure the development, progression and well-being of all its people. These sustained efforts have resulted in improving the gender ratio from 19 per cent to 41 per cent (as of November 2023), with strong visibility of female leaders in the C-suite.
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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.
