MAM
Aegis to launch iProspect in India
MUMBAI:Aegis Media will bring into India the world‘s leading search engine marketing company, iProspect.
iProspect will start operations in Mumbai and Delhi on 27 October and will add on Bangalore and other cities from the first quarter of 2011.
iProspect has been instrumental in helping many of the world‘s most successful brands maximize their online marketing ROI through natural search engine optimization, paid inclusion management, pay per click advertising management, shopping feed management and numerous other related services.
Announcing the launch, Aegis Media chairman India and CEO South East Asia Ashish Bhasin said, “I believe that search marketing, both SEM and SEO, will be the key drivers of communications in the years to come, in India.
“We are lucky to have iProspect as a part of our Aegis Media family. iProspect as a world leader in search, will give Indian clients an opportunity for the first time to get a world class search marketing product in India. iProspect will be a part of our Power Brands in India and Shamsuddin Jasani will oversee it at the India Executive Council level.”
Already, through the rapid success of Isobar India, an impressive roster of iProspect‘s clients like Adidas, Reebok, Tourism Australia, UTI Mutual Fund, Rayban, Philips, Perfetti and others, have search as an integral part of their digital campaigns. iProspect will now further embellish that as well as target ‘Search Only‘ clients.
With the strengths that India has in the IT and knowledge sector, iProspect India will soon start doing off shoring work from USA, Europe and Asia Pacific.
iProspect, founded in 1996 and acquired by Aegis in 2004, is considered a thought leader on the world stage of search. It has 28 offices in 22 global markets.
Brands
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.
