MAM
Leo Burnett bolsters strategic planning team with new appointments
Mumbai: Creative solutions agency Leo Burnett India on Wednesday announced new appointments to bolster its strategic planning team. Mittu Torka and Bonnie Michael are named executive vice president – strategy in Mumbai and Ankit Singh is elevated to executive vice president – strategy in Delhi.
Michael comes with two decades of experience across FMCG, finance, technology, auto, and hospitality. He specialises in providing strategic solutions to brands and organisations, and helping them engage with their audience, to improve their customer experience in an effective manner.
Torka has worked in markets across India and Southeast Asia and her experience ranges from online platform development, customer lifecycle management to crafting brand narratives and go-to-market strategies. She has worked on marquee brands like Samsung, Coca-Cola, Guinness, Huawei, OLX, General Mills, and Mead Johnson over the course of her career.
Singh has been with Leo Burnett for the past years and has over the years successfully built brands, high-performance teams, and businesses for the agency. He has been instrumental in leading the agency’s Delhi strategy team and integral to the multi-fold growth we have seen in our Delhi office, in the last three years.
“At Leo Burnett India strategy has always been core to building success for client’s businesses,” said CEO & chief strategy officer – South Asia, Dheeraj Sinha. “Mittu and Bonnie both come with valuable knowledge and experience having worked across diverse sectors and some of the best-in-class brands. Their addition to the planning team will only help us sharpen our thinking and output on our businesses.”
“Ankit has been a valuable part of the Leo Burnett planning team and this promotion is not only well deserved but also a testament to our commitment to nurture homegrown talent. I am looking forward to seeing how each of these talented planners is going to create magic for our clients,” Sinha added.
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.
