MAM
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi gets Atin Wahal to head North & East regions
Mumbai: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi India has strengthened its leadership team and has announced the appointment of Atin Wahal as Executive Vice President – North & East. He will report to Paritosh Srivastava, MD of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.
Wahal takes over the role from Devraj Basu who has moved on from the agency.
Atin’s arrival is a homecoming of sorts as he was part of Publicis Ambience as Sr. VP until two years ago. He has worked on a host of businesses like Skoda, Zee, Citibank, Times Network, Sony Liv amongst others in his earlier stint.
Wahal joins L&K Saatchi & Saatchi from BBDO India where he was EVP and Head of Mumbai office and worked for brands such as Visa, Idea, Whatsapp, Bumble, HP, Ariel and many more. Apart from these two agencies, Atin has also had a promising stint with Sony Entertainment and other agencies viz
Welcoming Wahal to the agency, Paritosh Srivastava commented: “I’ve known Atin for some time now and happy to have him on the leadership team at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi. Delhi and Kolkata are very important offices for us with an amazing set of clients that we are very proud to partner. It wasn’t an easy search but we think Atin with his vast experience, professionalism, way with people, energy, resourcefulness and familiarity with the Groupe agenda will make him succeed.
Would also like to thank Devraj for doing a fantastic job for a very long time for the agency. We will always be grateful for his contribution and wish him the very best for the future.”
On joining the agency and also the challenges that lay ahead for him, Atin Wahal said: “Publicis Groupe has been at the forefront of offering integrated services and it’s this new age thinking that has pulled me back to the Groupe again.
I am thrilled to be a part of the new and energised L&K Saatchi & Saatchi with Paritosh at the helm. I am certain that we will be writing some success stories soon, riding on ‘Power Of One’ for our clients.
I do believe that in the today’s context and environment it’s not about the challenges that we will face but the opportunities that we will create for our clients and brands.”
Wahal has nearly 18 years of Advertising & Media experience, after completing his post-graduation from Symbiosis he has since explored the magical world of brand storytelling. He has worked on numerous brands across categories and regions including Automobiles, FMCG, Consumer Durables, Broadcast, Telecom, OTT, Pharmaceuticals, BFSI, eCommerce etc.
He has played an influential role and has been associated with some successful campaigns such as Ariel- #SonsSharetheLoad, Skoda- ‘Power Should be beautiful’, KBC- ‘Gyan hi Aapko Apka Haq Dilata Hain’, Zee TV- AAj Likhenge Kal, along with the brand launches of Asian Paints- Royale Play, Indian Idol Juniors, Sony Liv, Skoda Kodiaq and very recently Bumble.
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.
