Brands
Celebrity Cricket League to have 8 teams; ropes in Parle as title sponsor
NEW DELHI: Celebrity Cricket League has roped in Parle Products as the title sponsor for a period of three years for its brand Parle 20-20 Cookies.
The sponsorship is part of Parle’s ongoing commitment to associate its brand of biscuits, sweets and snacks with interesting live events.
“We’re thrilled to be elevating our association with CCL as title sponsor of the league. There is an incredibly strong alignment between our Parle 20-20 Cookies brand and what Celebrity Cricket League is all about. Known for its high entertainment quotient, CCL has great synergy with the 20-20 Cookies brand,” said Parle Products general manager – marketing Pravin Kulkarni.
Last year, CCL helped to bring in new rays of hope to kids suffering with heart diseases with its Hundred Hearts initiative.
Moving further on the path to make a difference, this year CCL takes on the CSR initiative of restoring the lives of women victims of acid attacks with Rotary Club of Deonar.
Present at an event in Mumbai to announce the same were Taapsee Pannu, Riteish Deshmukh, Sonu Sood, Hans Raj Hans and Suniel Shetty along with others.
Where Kriti Sanon has been chosen as the new face for the CCL this year, Sood is the captain for the new team Punjab De Sher owned by Puneet Singh and Navraj Hans. The pioneer of pop culture in India Daler Mehndi has been chosen as the brand ambassador of team Punjab.
Punjab De Sher owner Puneet Singh said, “I am delighted to announce my new team Punjab De Sher with Sonu Sood as the team captain. I have amazing personalities in my team and for sure they’ll amaze everyone with their sixers at the ground.”
Punjab De Sher team comprises Mika Singh, Jimmy Shergill, Ayushmann Khurrana, Yuvraj Hans, Jassi Gill, Babbal Rai and other popular faces.
The sixth edition of CCL will kick start from 23 January with the opening match between Mumbai Heroes and Punjab De Sher. The League will be hosted across various venues like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Kochi and Hyderabad.
Launched in 2011, CCL T20 cricket tournament consists of eight teams, each one representing the Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bhojpuri, Bengali and Punjabi film industries featuring celebrities from each respective industry.
Played over four weekends between January and February every year, CCL brings together over 200 film celebrities from all over the country, travelling to various corners to entertain their fans and audiences.
“Cricket and Films are religion in our country, and CCL is a heady mix of both. Given the following CCL has, it was an ideal fit for the Parle 20-20 Brand. Over the years of our association, CCL has built strong viewership base on television, featured the top celebrities of the country, displayed good quality cricket, large scale publicity and brought about a high presence for itself on social media, and we’re thrilled that it is taking large strides in the right direction,” said Parle Products deputy marketing manager Mayank Shah.
CCL founder and managing director Vishnu Induri added, “We are proud to welcome Parle 20-20 Cookies as Title Sponsor of CCL. Parle is one of the most well-known and recognised Indian brands and an ideal partner with its leadership positions in consumer choices. That we’ve retained and enhanced our partnership with a group like Parle over the years is a matter of great honour for our team. We look forward to yet another super exciting season of CCL.”
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.
