Brands
Hindustan Pencils names Aishwarya Shinod head of marketing
MUMBAI: Hindustan Pencils has appointed Aishwarya Shinod as head of marketing, tapping a seasoned FMCG leader to steer brand transformation across its flagship stationery labels, Apsara and Nataraj.
Shinod will lead brand, marketing and consumer strategy for the company’s portfolio, with a brief to sharpen cultural relevance and deepen emotional connect with younger consumers while preserving the brands’ legacy appeal.
She brings nearly two decades of experience in building consumer brands, with senior roles at Unilever, Nestlé, Kellogg’s and Freudenberg Gala Household Products. Her expertise spans brand strategy, integrated marketing, innovation and purpose-led storytelling, underpinned by a strong consumer-first approach.
In previous roles, Shinod led several high-profile brand transformations, including the repositioning of Pepsodent across South Asia at Unilever and the ”Why Just Clean Home’ campaign at Gala, which helped double the brand’s topline over four years. She has also served on industry juries such as the Effies, Emvies and Indian Content Marketing Awards.
Commenting on her appointment, Shinod said joining Hindustan Pencils was an opportunity to reimagine brands that are deeply embedded in Indian school memories and make them relevant for the next generation through insight-led marketing.
Founded in 1958, Hindustan Pencils is India’s largest primary school stationery manufacturer, producing about 8.5 million pencils a day alongside sharpeners, erasers, scales and pens from its manufacturing units. The company said the appointment underlines its focus on building future-ready brands anchored in nostalgia but aligned with changing consumer expectations.
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.
