MAM
Booked for glory as Crossword Awards crown India’s finest storytellers
MUMBAI: Literature took centre stage and stole the spotlight in Mumbai as the 19th Crossword Book Awards unfurled a night stacked with prose, pride and page-turning brilliance. And leading the celebration was a standing ovation for the formidable Shanta Gokhale, who received the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award becoming only the fifth luminary to join a club that counts Ruskin Bond, Sudha Murty, Shashi Tharoor and Amitav Ghosh among its members.
The award was presented by close friend and veteran journalist Bachi Karkaria, who lauded Gokhale’s towering influence across Marathi literature, theatre criticism and translation, calling her a cultural force who has “enriched Indian literature at large.”
The evening, held at The LaLit Mumbai on 3 December 2025, showcased the breadth of Indian storytelling today from a 920-page deep dive into 1940s Calcutta to a probing study of modern Hindu identity. The Jury Awards reflected that sweep, recognising:
● Fiction: Great Eastern Hotel by Ruchir Joshi
● Non-fiction: Gods, Guns and Missionaries by Manu S. Pillai
● Business & Management: Just a Mercenary? by Duvvuri Subbarao
● Children’s Books: The Wall Friends Club by Varsha Seshan, illustrated by Denise Antao
● Translations: The Day the Earth Bloomed by Manoj Kuroor, translated by J. Devika
With 15 jurors across five categories, several including Vaishna Roy, Mandira Nayar, Poonam Saxena, Deepak Dalal, Sonu Bhasin and Sruthijith KK—took the stage to present the awards.
If the Jury Awards spoke to craft, the Popular Choice Awards revealed the nation’s heart. Reader votes crowned titles that sparked conversations across the country, including:
● Fiction: Too Good To Be True by Prajakta Koli
● Non-fiction: Shah Rukh Khan by Mohar Basu
● Children’s Books: Grandpa’s Bag of Stories by Sudha Murty
● Business & Management: Ratan Tata by Thomas Mathew
● Mind, Body & Spirit: Enlightenment by Sadhguru
Celebrating the diverse winners, Crossword Bookstores CEO Aakash Gupta said, “The range and depth recognised this year is truly thrilling. These books will spark conversations, shape perspectives and inspire a generation of readers.”
Adding to the sentiment Crossword Bookstores director Nidhi Gupta shared, “Tonight reminded us of the enduring magic of storytelling. These works open windows into worlds we may never otherwise encounter.”
The ceremony drew a constellation of authors and industry leaders, including shortlisted names Prahalad Kakkar, Roopa Pai, Anand Neelakantan and Arunava Sinha, along with prominent attendees Anupama Chopra, Ambi Parmeswaran and Suvir Saran.
Established in 1998, the Crossword Book Awards continue to stand as one of India’s most consistent literary benchmarks championing English-language writing, elevating new voices and mirroring the evolving pulse of Indian storytelling. With its 2025 edition, the awards once again offered readers a definitive guide to the year’s most compelling books and the writers shaping the country’s literary future.
As the final applause faded, one thing was clear: Indian literature is not just thriving, it’s rewriting its own story, one award-winning page at a time.
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.
