MAM
ESS ups Sanjay Kailash to head of sales
MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has promoted Sanjay Kailash to ESPN Software India (ESI) executive VP and head of sales.
He will have an expanded role with the overall responsibility of delivering revenue for various streams of the business including advertising, affiliate sales, digital media and event management group. He will continue to report directly to ESI MD Aloke Malik.
Malik said, “As we further scale up our business in the market with new networks and offerings, we see great potential in bringing more synergy across different revenue functions. This will allow us to explore more opportunities and develop focused propositions for our business partners. Sanjay’s in-depth knowledge and cross-industry experience will help ESPN Software India further reinforce and broaden its business in the sub-continent, and I believe the organization will benefit from his contributions through this new role.”
Kailash has been with the company for over 10 years, having made significant and consistent contributions to the ad sales function. Most recently, he led the ICC Cricket World Cup ad sales effort. In addition, he has been keenly involved in the programming and scheduling aspects of the business and contributed to the start-up of the event management group in India, as well as growing the Digital Media business for the company, the company said.
TS Panesar will continue to head Affiliate Sales including both Cable & DTH business and ad sales will be led by Anup Govindan, both of whom will report to Kailash.
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.
