Brands
boAt high-flyer Siya Wadhawan steers her way to Boldfit
MUMBAI: Siya Wadhawan has jumped ship from audio giant boAt to take the helm as head of brand marketing at sportswear challenger Boldfit. The savvy brand builder, who played a blinder in scaling boAt from a modest Rs 800 crore operation to a whopping Rs 3,000 plus crore behemoth during a four-year stint, will now attempt to work her magic on India’s fastest-growing sportswear and sports equipment brand.
During her tenure at boAt, Wadhawan cut her teeth on product launches across the audio and smartwatch categories, masterminding partnerships with heavyweights like Netflix, cult.fit, and Dolby that helped propel the brand into the stratosphere.
Before making waves at boAt, the MICAn spent nearly two years at Bajaj Electricals, where she spearheaded the digital transformation of the kitchen appliance category during the Covid pandemic—no mean feat for a legacy brand facing unprecedented market disruption.
Her clever rebranding of Nirlep and category expansion efforts for both Bajaj and Morphy Richards in south India caught the eye of boAt’s top brass, who snapped her up in January 2021 as they embarked on their ambitious growth trajectory.
Boldfit, which has been quietly building a name for itself in the fitness equipment and sportswear space, appears to be gearing up for a major push with this strategic hire. The brand is rumoured to be plotting an aggressive expansion that would put it on collision course with established players like Decathlon and homegrown challenger Cult.Sport.
Wadhawan’s knack for “weaving stories, designing strategies and mining breakthrough ideas” will be put to the test as she attempts to navigate Boldfit through the crowded sportswear market, where brand positioning and community building are as crucial as the product itself.
With a track record of turning digital-native brands into cultural phenomena, all eyes will be on whether Wadhawan can help Boldfit muscle its way to the top of India’s fitness brand podium.
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.
