MAM
HostBooks stands out as a versatile and scalable solution”: Abhijit Dutta
Mumbai: Hostbooks offers end-to-end, all-in-one automated business solutions empowering small and medium enterprises to manage their accounting, tax, GST, TDS, e-way bill, E-invoicing, Income Tax, payroll, and point-of-sale (POS/m-POS). It offers statutory record maintenance, a single-click easy-to-use filing solution, customizable and intelligent business reporting as well as hassle-free compliances. These features help businesses save significant costs and time, thus enabling smart decision-making and helping MSME/SMEs’ to focus on their core business.
Indiantelevision.com caught up with Hostbooks CSO Abhijit Dutta to know more about this platform in detail.
Edited excerpts
On the key features of HostBooks’ business management platform
HostBooks’ Business Management Platform distinguishes itself through a range of comprehensive features designed to streamline business operations. Its cloud-based accessibility ensures businesses enjoy real-time access to vital data from any location, promoting flexibility in operations. Our platform integrates robust accounting functionalities, encompassing ledger maintenance and expense tracking, simplifying financial management processes. Optimal stock control and minimized risks of overstock or stockouts are facilitated through the platform’s robust inventory management capabilities. Streamlined invoicing and billing processes contribute to enhanced cash flow management. The inclusion of HR and payroll management tools ensures precision and efficiency in workforce management. The integrated CRM empowers businesses to effectively manage customer interactions and track leads, ultimately boosting customer satisfaction. The platform’s focus on tax compliance, featuring automated calculations and timely filing reminders, guarantees businesses adhere to regulatory requirements. HostBooks’ dedication to scalability allows the platform to flexibly adapt to businesses of varying sizes, supporting their growth trajectories. Prioritizing security measures guards against unauthorized access and data breaches, instilling user confidence. Moreover, the platform’s robust compliance management features add an extra layer of strength, making it an ideal, all-encompassing solution for businesses seeking efficiency, scalability, and strategic insights.
On handling tax management for businesses
HostBooks revolutionizes tax management for businesses through a comprehensive approach that simplifies intricate processes. The platform stands out in GST reconciliation, effortlessly harmonizing GSTR 3B, GSTR 1, and GSTR 9, ensuring seamless compliance with Goods and Services Tax requirements. Noteworthy is HostBooks’ streamlined TDS return and reconciliation, providing a robust system for efficient management of Tax Deducted at Source. The user-friendly interface enhances the overall experience, ensuring smooth handling of diverse tax-related tasks and promoting accessibility. HostBooks’ unwavering commitment to accuracy and compliance is evident in its meticulous approach to GST processes, spanning from filing to reconciliation. Businesses can rely on HostBooks for a stress-free tax management experience, emphasizing precision and efficiency, particularly in GST reconciliation and TDS processes. Overall, HostBooks’ approach to tax management is geared towards simplifying the complexities of taxation for businesses, providing a reliable and efficient solution for compliance and reporting.
On functionalities you offer for TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) management
HostBooks stands at the forefront of TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) management, offering a suite of powerful functionalities tailored to streamline the intricate landscape of tax compliance. The platform excels in TDS Return and Reconciliation, ensuring seamless filing and accuracy in aligning deducted amounts with the TDS returns. HostBooks simplifies TDS Computation, automating the calculation process based on the latest tax regulations. The platform supports TDS Forms 27E & 24Q and 27, providing a comprehensive solution for diverse reporting requirements. Noteworthy is HostBooks’ capability to facilitate Lower Deductions under section 197, ensuring businesses adhere to applicable tax provisions. The inclusion of Form 16 and Form 16 A generation adds to the platform’s versatility, automating the creation of essential TDS certificates for deductees. Furthermore, HostBooks empowers users with TDS Return Rectification tools, allowing for seamless correction and alignment with regulatory requirements. With a commitment to precision and compliance, HostBooks emerges as a reliable solution for businesses navigating the complexities of TDS management, with a particular emphasis on efficiency and accuracy.
On payroll services HostBooks provides
HostBooks provides a comprehensive suite of payroll services, meticulously crafted to address the diverse requirements of businesses while prioritizing efficiency and compliance. The platform offers an all-encompassing payroll management system, covering salary processing, tax calculations, and the administration of employee benefits. What sets HostBooks apart is its inclusive Compliance management feature, ensuring businesses seamlessly meet regulatory requirements. The system also facilitates the generation of crucial payroll documents, such as Pay-slips and Form 16, streamlining documentation processes. We stand out for its commitment to flexibility, offering customizable payroll services tailored to the unique needs of various businesses and accommodating industry-specific requirements. With an intuitively designed user interface, the platform simplifies navigation and utilization of payroll features. We have emerged as a dependable solution, not just for businesses seeking streamlined payroll processes but also for those requiring adaptability in different business contexts.
On HostBooks scalable for businesses of different sizes, from startups to larger enterprises
HostBooks stands out as a versatile and scalable solution, catering to businesses of varying sizes, from dynamic startups to expansive enterprises. HostBooks carry its tagline as Endless Possibilities and we carry the platform’s adaptability is a key strength, providing tailored support to Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs), Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), and larger enterprises alike. For SMBs, HostBooks streamlines financial and operational processes, promoting efficiency and growth. MSEs benefit from the platform’s ability to manage complexities with ease, ensuring compliance and strategic financial management. At the enterprise level, HostBooks offers robust features that handle intricate operations seamlessly, fostering productivity and ensuring adherence to industry regulations. The platform’s scalability is not merely a feature but a strategic advantage, enabling businesses to grow and evolve without outgrowing their financial management system. HostBooks has proven instrumental in optimizing operations, enhancing financial accuracy, and facilitating strategic decision-making across a diverse spectrum of businesses, making it a trusted ally for startups, SMBs, MSEs, and larger enterprises alike.
AD Agencies
Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
