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Sarvesh Desai joins Instamart as director of planning
Former Flipkart and Unilever planner to drive demand and supply efficiency
BENGALURU: Instamart has brought in a seasoned hand to fine tune its fast-moving supply engine. Sarvesh Desai has been appointed director of planning, where he will oversee end-to-end planning for the quick-commerce business, focusing on demand forecasting, fulfilment readiness and supply chain efficiency.
Based in Bengaluru, Desai steps into the role with more than a decade of experience across consumer goods and e-commerce. His brief is straightforward but critical: make sure the right products reach the right neighbourhoods at the right time, without the supply chain breaking a sweat.
Before joining Instamart, Desai spent over six years at Flipkart, most recently as associate director, planning. There, he worked across demand planning and fulfilment centre operations, helping sharpen forecasting models and streamline large-scale logistics.
Earlier, he built his planning credentials at Unilever, where he held multiple roles in demand planning and S&OP analytics. During his stint, he worked across major categories and led projects around forecasting automation, process standardisation and analytics-driven planning. He was also recognised for improving forecast accuracy and contributing to supply chain analytics initiatives.
Desai began his career with roles and internships across insurance, apparel and manufacturing, gaining early exposure to operations, process improvement and demand planning.
At Instamart, he is expected to bring that cross-industry experience to a business where speed is the product and precision is the promise. With competition in quick commerce heating up, sharper planning could be the difference between a swift delivery and an empty cart.
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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.
