MAM
Havas Worldwide India appoints Arjun Jetly, Neharika Awal, Ajitesh Verma & Monish Gupta as executive creative directors
Mumbai: Havas Worldwide India, the creative agency of Havas India, has strengthened its creative team with the appointment of Arjun Jetly, Neharika Awal, Ajitesh Verma, and Monish Gupta as executive creative directors.
Based out of Gurugram, all four will report to Anupama Ramaswamy, chief creative officer of Havas Worldwide India, and will be responsible for further strengthening the creative offering of the agency.
Speaking about the appointments, Havas Worldwide India chief creative officer Anupama Ramaswamy said, “Now is the time for our work to shine. And I can’t think of a better team to lead this than Neharika, Monish, Arjun and Ajitesh. I’m delighted to welcome them into the Havas family. They are a dynamic bunch, brimming with new ideas, each having their own individual strengths, which will not just help the brands we work on but also the teams. I believe in their capabilities and mindset to take Havas Worldwide India to newer heights.”
His second stint with Havas Worldwide India, Arjun was the brain behind some of Durex’s most-loved campaigns including Mutual Climax and Invisible. He joins the agency from Cheil India and has also worked in agencies like The Glitch. Over the course of his career, he’s worked extensively on marquee brands from across categories including Durex, Veet, Mirinda, 7Up, Monkey Shoulder, Lay’s, Kurkure, Doritos, Cadbury, 5-Star, Horlicks, Eno, Happydent, Mentos, Adobe, MG Motor, to name a few. He has also won prestigious awards for his work, including Cannes Lions, Effies and ABBYs.
Neharika has joined Havas Worldwide India following an eight-year stint in Dentsu. Before Dentsu, she worked at Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy and DDB Mudra. Through the course of her career, she has worked with leading brands including Honda Cars, OLX, Biba, Chaayos, Tasva, Canon and Dominos, to name a few, and has prominent awards including Effies and ABBYs to her name.
Ajitesh has worked with erstwhile Wunderman Thompson, BBDO India, McCann Worldwide and Leo Burnett before joining Havas Worldwide India. Some of his most accomplished work has been on brands from diverse sectors including Meta, The Times of India, Flipkart, PhonePe, Swiggy, Mountain Dew Global, Pepsi Foods, ITC, Britannia, Nestlé and GSK.
Through his career, Monish has managed a wide portfolio of brands, including some of the biggest names in auto, consumer electronics, lifestyle, fashion, and hospitality including Maruti Suzuki, Honda Bikes, Citroën, LG, Samsung Phones, Myntra, and Burger King, among others. Monish who joins Havas Worldwide India from Leo Burnett has also worked at Dentsu, Lowe Lintas, erstwhile J Walter Thompson and Cheil.
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.
