MAM
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi ropes in Kanishka Vashisht as executive creative director
New Delhi: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi strengthened its creative team on Monday with the appointment of Kanishka Vashisht as the executive creative director. Vashisht will be based out of New Delhi and will manage all brands for the region. He will report to L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, Joint national creative director, Rohit Malkani.
Vashisht joins the agency from Lowe Lintas, Delhi where he was group creative director. His joining will strengthen the agency’s creative output and help create a unique culture – one that will thrive on creating superlative content & meaningful conversations for brands in the region, said the agency in a statement on Monday.
Commenting on the appointment, Malkani said: “Finding the perfect person to head our New Delhi office wasn’t easy. It had to be someone who shared our obsession for spawning a unique culture, who shared our ambition for creating conversations and superlative content and finally, someone with a proven track record. In Kanishka, I saw all three. He is a unique creative person with his heart in the right place! It’s going to be a heck of a ride with him on board.”
Vashisht began his advertising journey as a suit in Triton Advertising, Delhi. But the creative spirit in him led him to switch over and join Ogilvy Delhi in 2004. After a five-year stint at the agency where he worked on brands like Motorola, KFC, LG, Eno, and others, he left to join Leo Burnett. As Uninor was born, he was then summoned to McCann Delhi to build relationships with Perfetti, Chevrolet, Coke, Aircel, Metlife, Greenlam, and others.
After a five-year stint, Lowe Lintas Delhi came calling and got him to help conceive much more than just ideas for brands like Google, Micromax, Foodpanda, and Hindustan Times. He briefly took a sabbatical to explore his liking for a serene setting and left for the fields of southern France.
Sharing his views on the opportunity that this role presents, he said, “I believe L&K Saatchi & Saatchi is an extremely fertile land for some very interesting brand work. My job is to sow the seeds of possibility, gather and nurture talent, and of course, reap the fruits of our combined efforts.”
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.
