MAM
Kerala Tourism road show gets underway in Bangalore
BANGALORE: For a weak starting today, Leela Palace, Bangalore will sport refreshing hues of green as the Kerala tourism road show gets under way. Kerala Tourism Board has kicked off the week-long promotional activities in the city to throw more light on the tourist attractions and tourism developments of the state.
The Bangalore road show is part of the series of road shows being conducted by Kerala Tourism to promote the state aggressively in the domestic market. “Kerala is a destination that has attained success through carefully planned development of its inherent strengths. Road shows and trade meets are part of our marketing strategy to ensure visibility and to showcase the best of the state to the outside world,” said Kerala tourism minister KC Venugopal.
The inaugural function saw the premier release of the new basket of Kerala tourism promotional films. Titled “Life in God’s Own Country”, the six films have been shot by internationally renowned cinematographer Santosh Sivan. The films, to be subsequently released across the world will be one of the integral marketing tools of Kerala Tourism.
Kerala Tourism’s new set of commercials exude a raw energy that is characteristic of the land. City-based concepts have been used to highlight nature-based products, thus presenting the strengths of Kerala in completely unexpected perspectives. And they certainly inspire one to home in on Kerala for the next holiday.
Kerala’s holitistic approach to communication has once again set the State apart – the print ads, the TV campaign and all the other collaterals speak the same language, never ceasing to inspire the viewer.
Soon to be released in international channels and in select cinemas, the film is expected to give a further boost to the booming tourism industry in the state, which saw international arrivals going up by 16.7 per cent and domestic arrivals touching al all time high of 59,75,000 last year.
Globally, Kerala’s popularity is on an all-time high with the worldwide media heaping laurels upon the State right from the National Geographic Traveler’s acclaim as “One of the ten paradises of the world” to the recent Newsweek article referring it to as “the spiritual centre of the ancient life science of Ayurveda,” says an official release.
Offering Bangalore a fist-hand taste of God’s Own Country, Sadya, a food festival featuring Kerala cuisine – Travancore, Thrissur, Moplah and Nasrani was also inaugurated. A presentation on Kerala Tourism by Bhushan was another highlight of the day.
A tourism trade meet, scheduled later in the day will offer a unique opportunity for the tourism-travel trade in Bangalore to connect with the trade fraternity from Kerala. An exclusive corporate meet in the evening will see the who’s who of Bangalore interacting with Kerala Tourism officials as well as the trade partners from Kerala, the release adds.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â 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.
