Brands
Cleartrip appoints Shubham Khurana as the head of brand marketing
Mumbai: Cleartrip announced the appointment of Shubham Khurana as the brand head on Thursday. In his new role, he will be responsible for augmenting Cleartrip’s brand presence across the country and further expanding its footprint in the newer markets, along with enhancing the customer experience.
Talking about the appointment, Cleartrip chief marketing officer Kunal Dubey said, “At Cleartrip, we strongly back the notion of scaling a business that will not only disrupt the OTA space through innovations but also build a brand that is loved and trusted by millions. We have the ambition to build the brand with a differentiated positioning. Shubham joined the marketing team at Cleartrip at a very exciting time as we were getting ready to take the category by storm. Shubham joins us with a unique experience in consumer marketing, travel, and digital marketing and will definitely add value to the team in our journey ahead.”
Speaking on his appointment, Khurana said, “I am excited about this mandate as it brings me back to the industry that I’m extremely passionate about. Travel is one of the most inspiring categories with some of the most uninspiring communication as of today, which is possibly why there isn’t any distinctive brand from India in this space yet. There is a great opportunity to create a contemporary and exciting brand, breaking the clutter of the price and discount-led communication that dominates the industry. Cleartrip has been able to create a niche and a loyal base of customers over the years, and I’m looking to take the goodness of the platform to the world at large with a renewed and refreshing brand identity and communication as my first priority. I am excited about being a part of Cleartrip and look forward to contributing to its renewed growth and success.”
Khurana joins Cleartrip with over 12 years of experience at corporates like Facebook India, Unilever, and startups like Treebo Hotels, where he played an instrumental role in accelerating the growth strategies of the brands.
At Unilever, he built a deep consumer understanding and a strong business acumen, having handled their largest sales area followed by a stint leading their coffee brand, Bru. He joined Treebo in 2015 as the Brand Head, where he built the marketing infrastructure from scratch. At Facebook, he managed India’s largest FMCG advertisers like HUL, Nestle, Mondelez, etc.
He also conceptualised and built Facebook India’s strategy for tier-two and tier-three towns. He has completed his engineering from IIT- Roorkee and his MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur. Amongst his many achievements, he has also been recognized at India’s top business forums with awards like ET Young Leader and IAMAI Digital Marketer of the Year.
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.
