MAM
Hotstar’s Gaurav Shahlot joins Khatabook as head of product
Mumbai: Fintech start-up Khatabook has announced the appointment of Gaurav Shahlot as head of product. He will also be a part of the core leadership team at Khatabook.
With over 10 million monthly active merchant users on its platforms, Khatabook plans to continue to drive growth by building a seamless product experience under Shahlot’s product leadership, said the platform in a statement
In his new role, he will be responsible for leading the product strategy and development along with team building and setting systems and processes for the product team to operate at scale. His key focus area would be to scale the products aligned to ongoing and new business initiatives of the company.
“Over the last three years, we have built a product with mass acceptance based on first principles. With increasing use cases on Khatabook, we needed a leader who has the experience of solving product problems at scale in a high-growth environment,” said Khatabook CEO and co-founder Ravish Naresh. “Gaurav has extensive experience with scaling and running products at scale. With his experience, leadership skills and passion for Khatabook’s mission, Gaurav is a natural fit to lead the product at Khatabook.”
A seasoned leader in product management, Shahlot brings expertise in identifying customer pain points and predicting future market needs to build innovative products. Before joining Khatabook, he was associated with Hotstar where he headed product management for over five years.
Before Hotstar, he worked with Myntra, leading mobile products. Shahlot co-founded Musicfellas, a music discovery platform to help users listen, share and support independent music all over the world, which was later acquired by Times Internet. An alumnus of Birla Institute of Technology and Science, he has done BE, computer science.
“I strongly believe in Khatabok’s mission to enable MSMEs in India with the power of technology,” said Gaurav Shahlot. “Nothing gives me more joy than building and scaling products, so I am incredibly thrilled to be part of Khatabook’s journey as it continues to transform small businesses in India, impacting the lives of millions.”
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.
