Brands
Fitspire partners with Tiger Shroff’s Ganapath movie for brand integration
Mumbai: Fitspire, India’s leading vegan wellness startup, has announced a strategic partnership with actor Tiger Shroff and Ganapath movie.
Through the partnership, Fitspire has showcased its newly launched peanut butter brand in the movie in a bid to tap into the burgeoning estimated $120 million peanut butter market in India. Founded by IIM Lucknow alumni Vipen Jain in 2020, Fitspire is an FMCG startup selling over 80 vegan products and combos for a healthy and fit lifestyle. The startup is also helmed by two prolific women co-founders Nidhi Jain and Hinah Sawhney. Fitspire boasts of a strong customer base of 1 million. Currently, Fitspire caters to more than 15,000 pin codes across the country, providing vegan wellness and fitness products made from extracts of natural ingredients. All its products are tested for international safety values and under FSSAI standards.
Talking about the brand association with Tiger Shroff, Fitspire’s founder and CEO, Vipen Jain said, “Tiger Shroff is a youth icon and is known for his stringent health and fitness. Associating with Tiger Shroff for our peanut butter made perfect sense as the segment is growing rapidly at a 20% CAGR driven by rising demand from health conscious GenZs and millennials.”
The demand for peanut butter has grown exponentially post-2020 pandemic due to a rising trend among consumers looking to include vegan and plant-based protein into their diet. The trend is likely to dominate the Indian market in coming years owing to rising awareness about healthy and sustainable living, Vipen added.
The Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon movie Ganapath produced by Vikas Bahl and Jacky Bhagnani shows how a simple man transforms into a well-built and strong mercenary who sets out on a mission to safeguard his people from evil forces. The movie that hit the box office will introduce Fitspire Peanut Butter in various scenes.
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.
