MAM
ELSA Corp India appoints cricketer Ajinkya Rahane as brand ambassador for India, Middle East, ANZ & SAARC
MUMBAI: ELSA Corp India, a global Edu-tech company, has today announced the appointment of Indian cricket test team vice captain Ajinkya Rahane as its brand ambassador for India, Middle East, ANZ and SAARC. ELSA Speak is a Mobile App, which uses speech recognition technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to help language learners improve their English pronunciation.
The announcement was made through a web conference in the presence of Rahane along with ELSA Corp country head India Manit Parikh.
Rahane will be endorsing the brand’s mobile application. This association aims to popularise ELSA Speak amongst Indian individuals who want to better their English pronunciation.
Commenting on the announcement ELSA Corp country head India Manit Parikh said, “Ajinkya Rahane is a self-made man and is revered to be one of the most influential cricketers of our times. He is the perfect example of an individual who has worked hard not only on his core craft, but also on his personality, his confidence and how he carries himself on the field and off the ground. At ELSA,we have created an ecosystem of learning where individuals can master spoken English and become confident speakers, thereby helping them excel in the field of their choice. Ajinkya is the perfect embodiment of the ‘ELSA way of life’ and therefore he is the best fit. We are looking forward to a great partnership with him.”
Rahane said, “Communication on the field is very vital in the sport of cricket and playing the sport at a professional, international level, we need to be equipped to communicate effectively with key stakeholders – international colleagues, fans and media. Since English is a language commonly used in international cricket circles, it becomes very useful to be able to understand and speak the language. ELSA is a great communication tool that equips individuals by helping them learn the right pronunciation of words. I have used the app for a while now and I believe it can be a great resource to many who have not learnt English as their first language."
ELSA Speak is an AI-powered app aimed at an estimated 1.5 billion language learners in the world to learn to speak English more fluently, thereby changing their careers and lives. ELSA uses proprietary speech technology with deep learning and AI to detect people's pronunciation mistakes with 95 per cent+ accuracy. The app listens to the way language learners pronounce words, sentences or conversations to pinpoint exact errors and provide real-time feedback on pronunciation mistakes with specific suggestions on how to improve.
ELSA Speak is used by BPO/KPO, hospitality, aviation, retail, banking, call centres, schools, colleges, vocational training institutions and more in India and internationally. ELSA is the first startup in Asia to be funded by Google’s Gradient Ventures.
In the midst of Covid2019 and supporting PM Narendra Modi, ELSA announced a subscription grant worth Rs 56 crore for students in India.
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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.
