Brands
Bajaj Electricals hit with Rs 14.08 crore GST demand, plans legal appeal
MUMBAI: Bajaj Electricals Limited has received an assessment order from the Punjab GST Authority, imposing a Rs 14.08 crore tax demand for the financial year 2020-21. The notice, issued by the Punjab, Mohali assistant commissioner under Section 73 of the Punjab Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, and Section 73 of the CGST Act, 2017, alleges liabilities related to the reverse charge mechanism (RCM) and discrepancies in the input tax credit (ITC) claimed by the company.
Breakdown of the demand
1 Tax demand: Rs. 7.45 crore
2 Interest: Rs. 5.89 crore
3 Penalty: Rs. 0.75 crore
4 Total demand: Rs. 14.08 crore
Bajaj Electricals has assured stakeholders that it is exploring all legal options, including filing an appeal before the appropriate appellate authority. The company maintains that its financial operations and business activities remain unaffected by the demand and that it is committed to ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements.
In a formal disclosure to BSE Ltd and the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE), the company stated that it remains committed to addressing the issue through legal channels and emphasised that there is no immediate operational impact.
While Bajaj Electricals gears up for a legal battle, this development underscores the growing scrutiny of tax compliance in the corporate sector.
Brands
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
