MAM
Cricketing legend MS Dhoni and CARS24 announce strategic tie-up
New Delhi: India’s leading home-grown global talent management company Rhiti Sports Management has announced the strategic partnership between legendary cricketer MS Dhoni and CARS24, one of the country’s fastest growing tech-enabled used car companies. As part of this partnership facilitated by Rhiti Sports Management, Dhoni will own equity in CARS24 and will also act as its brand ambassador.
As Dhoni and several other leading sports personalities’ image and brand management consultant, Rhiti Sports has worked tirelessly to bring in new additions to their brand portfolio. As a fully integrated sports marketing and management company, Rhiti Sports offers a wide range of services such as sports consultancy, conceptualisation, athlete representation, sports asset management and marketing, event management, media rights distribution, sponsorship, live entertainment and original content production services.
According to Arun Pandey, Chairman and Managing Director of Rhiti Sports Management, “MS. Dhoni is a catalyst for ‘change’. He has changed the way cricket was seen earlier and how its is seen today. And, I can relate the same change in the space CARS24 caters to. Extremely delighted on facilitating this partnership.”
On his association with the brand, Dhoni said, “I am thrilled to be part of the CARS24 journey. Besides being a fan of all things to do with cars, I am also a fan of new age companies that are disruptive, innovative and shaping the future. CARS24 is definitely one of these companies. They have big ambitions and I am excited to work with them and help them achieve their goals.”
Dhoni is already the face of prestigious brands such as GoDaddy, Bharat Matrimony, Mastercard India, Dream11 and SEVEN among others and Rhiti Sports aims to increase his outreach in the months ahead. Some of the other leading sports personalities managed by the company are Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Faf Du Plessis, Mohit Sharma, Gurkeerat Singh, Karn Sharma, Pragyan Ojha and Kaustubh Radkar.
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.
