Brands
ITC names Anuj Bansal chief business officer of Yoga Bar
MUMBAI: ITC Limited has handed the reins of its fast-growing health foods play to a familiar face, appointing Anuj Bansal as chief business officer of Yoga Bar, the clean-label brand under Sprout Life Foods.
Bansal, a 17-year ITC veteran, takes charge at a time when Yoga Bar is looking to move from niche favourite to mainstream staple. Known for blending brand storytelling with business rigour, he now brings his playbook to a category driven as much by trust as by taste.
Announcing the move, Bansal struck a characteristically upbeat note. “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Chief Business Officer, Yoga Bar at ITC Limited Foods. Lot to learn and lot to create. Forty-one but feels like 21,” he said.
His appointment builds on a long and varied career within ITC’s foods business. Bansal currently serves as a member of the ITC Foods Executive Committee and has led some of the company’s most recognisable brands across biscuits, chocolates, confectionery and coffee. From shaping Sunfeast into a household name to driving growth across Candyman, Dark Fantasy and Bingo!, his journey spans marketing, sales, category development and supply chain roles.
With Yoga Bar, ITC is betting on both credibility and creativity. As consumers increasingly seek healthier options without sacrificing flavour, Bansal’s task will be to scale the brand while keeping its youthful, honest appeal intact.
For Bansal, it is a new chapter within a familiar organisation. For Yoga Bar, it could be the push that takes the brand from pantry shelves to everyday conversations.
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.
