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PeopleStrong names Aashay Manake as chief people officer
NEW DELHI: PeopleStrong has pressed refresh on its leadership bench, appointing Aashay Manake as chief people officer to steer its people and culture agenda through its next growth chapter.
Manake joins the Asia-focused human capital management SaaS player from Jubilant FoodWorks, where he served as vice president HR, overseeing people strategy across large, multi-brand and widely distributed teams. In his new role, he will focus on leadership development, workforce effectiveness and organisational readiness as PeopleStrong scales across markets.
With over 16 years of experience, Manake has built his career in fast-moving and complex environments, spanning FMCG, industrial conglomerates, hospitality, consumer tech, and food services. His résumé includes senior people leadership stints at ITC, GE and OYO, giving him a front-row view of transformation at scale.
An alumnus of SCMHRD, Manake has led enterprise-wide HR charters covering performance and rewards, talent and leadership development, employee relations and organisational design, often during periods of rapid change.
Welcoming him on board, PeopleStrong CEO Sandeep Chaudhary, said the appointment reflects the company’s belief that caring for people is central to business success. He noted that as organisations grapple with increasingly complex workforce realities, leaders who combine HR expertise with strong process thinking and human insight are essential.
Manake echoed the sentiment, saying PeopleStrong has long set benchmarks in progressive people practices. He added that he looks forward to strengthening capabilities, building scalable people systems and fostering a culture that brings energy, purpose and joy to work.
The appointment underlines PeopleStrong’s people-first philosophy as it sharpens its long-term growth ambitions. The company currently powers over 500 enterprises, serves more than 2 million users and processes upwards of 1.75 million paycheques every month. Its HR mobile app boasts a 4.8 rating across iOS and Android, and PeopleStrong has been recognised as a Customers’ Choice in Gartner’s Cloud HCM Suites category for enterprises with over 1,000 employees from 2022 to 2025.
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.
