Brands
Kiran Bedi unveils Eveready’s Siren Torch with safety alarm
Mumbai: Eveready Industries India Ltd (EIIL), India’s No.1 battery brand synonymous with power, performance, and reliability along with India’s First Woman IPS Officer, Dr. Kiran Bedi unveiled a first-of-its-kind flashlight with safety alarm – the Eveready Siren Torch. This market disruptor and pioneering siren flashlight emits a loud 100dbA safety alarm when the user pulls the attached key chain in a distressing situation. Designed to empower women and people at large, the newly launched siren flashlight aims to enhance safety and security in daily life. This innovative product is backed by the brand’s latest campaign, #AwaazUthaneyKaPower, which is led by deaf and verbally challenged people to highlight the need for this product to ensure safety and security for all.
For the #AwaazUthaneyKaPower campaign, Eveready collaborated with India Signing Hands, an organisation dedicated to providing solutions to “accessibility” issues faced by the deaf community in India. To dispel the silence around women’s safety, the campaign connects with the deafening power of non-verbal communication through a powerful film crafted by Ogilvy India. The film features deaf and verbally challenged women, alone in different locations, narrating their traumatic experiences in sign language. They recount being very close to danger sometimes or being subjected to eve-teasing. Eveready Siren Torch empowers women to make noise even without a voice, with 100-decibel SOS alarms to prevent abuse and alert passersby. The film encourages others to stand up for themselves, feeling empowered by the message: “Ab awaaz main bhi uthaungi” – I will make my voice heard too.
Speaking on the occasion, Bedi said, “A woman’s physical and inner feeling of safety empowers her; it is essential for her mental health. Sometimes an external tool is needed to feel safe in all circumstances—whether moving out at odd hours or travelling distances to fulfil their dreams. Eveready’s unique Siren Torch is a significant step in empowering women to feel safe with an assurance to go that extra mile without hesitation or apprehensions about safety.”
“I am proud to support the #AwaazUthaneyKaPower campaign and look forward to extending this partnership with my NGOs, Navjyoti India Foundation and India Vision Foundation, to further our shared goal of women’s empowerment and create a safer society for all,” she added.
Eveready Industries India Ltd. senior VP & SBU head (batteries & flashlights) Anirban Banerjee stated “Eveready is a tireless champion of infinite power. This spirit has inspired us to design Siren Torch – a transformative solution that goes beyond mere functionality, offering hope and empowerment for women across India. With women’s safety at its core, our commitment to excellence and innovation has led the creating of a game-changing device that empowers women to make noise even without a voice. It’s 100-decibel SOS alarms to prevent abuse and alert passersby. Affordable, compact and feature-rich, we believe this product will significantly impact women’s lives. From the often deserted farmlands of rural India at night to the solitary late nights of Urban India, Siren will empower women to unlock their power of self-defense, build confidence, and shape a safer future for themselves and their communities”.
“Giving voice to the voiceless is not an easy task. But when Sujoy and his team came up with the idea of using non-verbal actors for the campaign, the path ahead was simple enough. The involuntary silence of the actors on screen serves to drive home the impossibility of the situation that women face on a daily basis. Through their mute gestures, the characters in the films speak for women who suffer shame, indignity and crude violence without a word. Now everyone will get to make a noise, even if they don’t have a voice,” remarked Ogilvy India CCO Sukesh Nayak.
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.
