MAM
Havas ups Asiya Bakht as Asia Pacific Communications head; strengthens Havas Village
MUMBAI: As part of its strategy to adopt a Havas Village model, Havas has promoted Asiya Bakht to the group’s director of marketing and communications for Asia Pacific. As director of marketing and communications for Havas Asia Pacific Bakht will drive visibility and awareness of Havas in the region and report to Southeast Asia CEO Levent Guenes.
The move follows the consolidation of marketing communications function in other key markets in Asia Pacific such as Australia, China, India and the Philippines.
In her newly defined role Bakht will be responsible for driving marketing and communications for all creative, media and specialist brands of Havas Asia, which include the flagship brands Havas Worldwide and Havas Media.
“We are delighted to welcome Bakht. Her impressive performance at Havas Media and understanding of the group’s culture played an important role in her selection as a communications lead,” says Havas creative group Asia Pacific, chairman, Juan Rocamora.
“When we were looking for someone to lead marketing for Havas as a group we couldn’t think of a better person than Bakht,” adds Havas Media Group Asia Pacific, CEO Vishnu Mohan. “She is not only committed to Havas’ vision of meaningful communications and collaboration, but also shares excellent relationships with stake holders within the group.”
“Bakht’s promotion is a testament to our collaborative ‘together’ culture, which allows us to leverage skills and talent available across the network, “said Havas Creative Group Southeast Asia, CEO Levent Guenes.
“We are very excited to have her on board and looking forward to working with her to further raise Havas’ profile in the region.”
Havas Village is a client centric organisation that brings all disciplines and teams in the agency – creative, media and digital – under one roof and is the foundation of group’s collaborative culture. The Village mode aims to simplify the agency’s offering for clients by aligning resources, production, analytics and insights across divisions thus driving greater efficiency and effectiveness.
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.
